Date Yourself With These Grand Junction Colorado Businesses

Did you ever visit the Sirloin Stockade at 12th and Orchard in Grand Junction, Colorado? If you were around in the 1970s, you probably worked there. Date yourself with memories from these awesome, and in most cases long gone, Grand Junction businesses.

I posted an assignment on Facebook: Age yourself with a former Grand Junction business. Replies poured in like crazy. Everyone remembers Bob & Jan's Steakhouse, Prime Cut Meat Market, Mama Longo's, Skateland, and Dean's Drive-In.

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Former Grand Junction Colorado Businesses

If you were living in Grand Junction of the 1970s, your family would go out to dinner at Mr. Steak on North Avenue. Long before we had anything like Starbucks, you'd meet your friends for coffee at the Oasis on the northwest corner of 4th and North Avenue. For fun, you'd catch Ralph N' Clyde at the Jungle Bar at the Cafe Caravan.

Grand Junction, Colorado Fixtures

What? You say you've never heard of these places? Well, at one time, they were thriving local businesses. If you attended Mesa College (now Colorado Mesa University) in the 1970s, you probably worked at Sirloin Stockade. If you were a member of my family in the 1970s, you probably stole the silverware from that restaurant. My great-grandmother certainly did. To this day I still have steak knives with red plastic handles reading "Sirloin Stockade."

Why Do We Feel Nostalgia?

There are countless awesome businesses operating now in Grand Junction. Why do we look back on businesses from 50 years ago? Krystine Batcho, Ph.D., shares a little insight in an article published by the American Psychological Association:

Historical nostalgia, in my research, suggests is more likely triggered by dissatisfaction with the present. If people are unhappy for any reason with how things are today, they're more likely then to experience this sense that things must have been better in the past. - apa.org

While this may be a bit strong, looking at your replies, it appears as though there are former businesses we really loved. Were they any better than today? Not necessarily. They were, however, great at those particular times in our lives.

Keeping It Real

When putting together the gallery, comments were left precisely as they were. Why? The original post read, "Age yourself with a former Grand Junction business." I'll give you an example: At one time there was a comic book/mode/Star Trek store in Grand Junction. As I recall, the name of the business was "The Transporter Room." It operated back in the late 1970s and early 80s. Someone corrected me the other day, saying the name of the business was "Beam Up Up's." Unfortunately, I can't find any information on this business.

Check out the replies and you'll see some of us remember Grand Junction's amusement park as Guyton's. Others remember it as Guyton's Fun Junction. Then again, some recall the name being Guyton's Amusement Park or simply Fun Junction.

Check out the gallery below and you'll see a few names you probably haven't encountered in a while. Chances are they'll bring back fond memories.