City O’ City, WaterCourse owners buy Colorado Sun Tofu, move to Trinidad

Lauren Roberts doesn’t like letting a good business go to waste.

In 2015, Roberts, along with her sister Hannah Kuehl and their mom, Jennifer Byers, bought the Capitol Hill vegetarian eateries City O’ City and WaterCourse from founder Dan Landes when he was ready to get out of the restaurant industry. Roberts was a manager at City O’ City and had always wanted to open a vegan business with her mom.

City O' City and WaterCourse owners Hannah Kuehl, left, Jennifer Byers, center, and Lauren Roberts with Colorado Sun Tofu founders Henry and Stella Han.  (Provided by Lauren Roberts)
City O’ City and WaterCourse owners Hannah Kuehl, left, Jennifer Byers, center, and Lauren Roberts with Colorado Sun Tofu founders Henry and Stella Han. (Provided by Lauren Roberts)

And in November last year, the family trio decided to help one of their most loyal clients enter retirement. Roberts, Kuehl and Byers purchased Colorado Sun Tofu in Northglenn from owners Henry and Stella Han, and they plan to move the local tofu manufacturing business to Trinidad, three hours south of Denver, this summer.

“We’ve been fortunate to buy these incredible legacy businesses and become stewards of these institutions, so we can keep them around,” Roberts said.

Roberts, her sister and mom wanted to diversify their portfolio when the pandemic hit, in case of future restaurant industry disruptions. They had previously planned to purchase a former school in La Veta, a small town an hour northwest of Trinidad, with Sexy Pizza owner Kayvan Khalatbari for a development project, including workforce housing, last year. But in the 11th hour, their builder pulled out, and the deal fell apart.

You May Also Like

More From Author