Meet the owners!

Kurtis Murphy has over 25 years of restaurant experience. In 1997, he moved to Durango and began working at the iconic Sweeny’s Steakhouse where he was quickly promoted to management positions. While at Sweeny’s, Kurtis met and married Durango native and coworker Krista Mahlum.

In 2003, Kurtis graduated from Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon, and began his Externship at Allred’s restaurant, in Telluride. At Allred’s, Kurtis spent two years working under the guidance of the area’s top chefs. In Telluride, Kurtis later became the General Manger of the mid-mountain ski venue, Gorrono Ranch. For five years, Kurtis hosted over 250 high-end weddings, many large events, and big-name concerts, including the epic 2017 String Cheese Incident show.

After returning to Durango, Kurtis has been Head Chef at Ken & Sues restaurant while Krista has served and bartended. For many years, Kurtis has enjoyed working alongside Ken and Sue, and became very familiar with their approach, style, and high standards for running their restaurant, a favorite of both locals and tourists.

Kurtis and Krista have two boys, Riley, 14 and Charlie, 12 years old. They built a home near Krista’s parents in the beautiful Pine River Valley.

Kurtis and Krista Murphy thank our community for helping to make our first year a success! “We could not have done it without you. Kudos as well to our amazing staff! In the coming year look for exciting renovations to our kitchen and front of house! It’s already started!”