Famed Digger’s Diner in Brush returns as Klutzy's Eatery in Evans
A generous veggie breakfast skillet plate at Klutzy’s Eatery, a new diner in Evans with old Colorado roots. Photo by Emily Kemme.
By Emily Kemme
It’s a long-burnished tradition to bid farewell to the old year at midnight before experiencing that swell of hope as to what the new year might bring. But when we say goodbye to beloved restaurants, it’s often more emotional than turning the calendar’s page.
Restaurants are where we go to escape from everyday obligations. It’s a timeout of sorts, when you sit down to a meal that someone else sets in front of you, and with it comes a wash of relief. Even if you pick food up from the counter and seat yourself — or these days have your meal delivered by an invisible Grubhub driver in contactless delivery ninja mode, the feeling is the same. You didn’t have to cook food for yourself. Somebody else did the work. They shopped for the ingredients, scrambled the eggs, warmed the tortilla and smothered the whole shebang in pork green chile.
Along the way, a friendship develops between us and the people who run restaurants. It’s tied to familiarity and food.
That’s why, when we lose a favorite place to eat a meal, we mourn.
Before you shout, “No! Not another pandemic restaurant story!” Just stop. This isn’t what this story is about.
It’s about rebirth and a love of working with people.
When Ashley Marcus’ parents, Jeff and Tawnie, shuttered Digger’s Diner in Brush, Colorado in 2013, it was because the building on Colorado Avenue needed extensive renovations: the restaurant would have to be closed for over six months, after which the diner’s rent would have gone up significantly, Ashley said.
From when it first opened in 2004, Digger’s Diner was the sort of place that generates fond memories, a place you could slink into for breakfast after a night out — because even in Brush, Colorado, there can be late nights — and it was also the place to get a burger, the bigger, the better.
In fact, the burgers at Digger’s weighed so much, it attracted the attention of national television. In July 2010, Digger’s appeared on the Food Network show, Outrageous Food, thanks to the mighty heft of its State Champ Burger.
The younger Marcus worked in restaurants after Digger’s closed, but said her most recent job prior to opening Klutzy’s Eatery earlier this year was in a call center.
“I didn’t enjoy just talking to someone for a few minutes over the phone. I would rather it would be in person,” Marcus said.
About three months ago, she took advantage of an opportunity — there was a small restaurant space that had recently opened in the plaza adjacent to the Kum & Go convenience store off 37th Street in Evans.
A breakfast burrito smothered with green chili at Klutzy’s was first known as the “Tuck-n-Roll”, an homage to Ashley Marcus’s years as a gymnast. Photo Emily Kemme.
She painted the interior walls sunshiny, egg yolk yellow, tucked in a few comfy booths and decided the name of the new establishment had to be Klutzy’s. It fit her so well: even though she was a gymnast and had years of experience waiting tables, when navigating around a busy diner, Marcus’ nickname was always “Klutzy.”
“Stairs are my nightmare, and in the restaurant it’s filling drinks or grabbing things. The circular booths were the worst,” Marcus said.
Instead of being embarrassed by her klutziness, Marcus decided to embrace it.
When she first opened the new eatery, everything on the menu was stumbling-related, she explained. There were Stumbling Skillets (breakfast skillets served with eggs, potatoes and toppings of choice); All Thumbs (breakfast sandwiches served on bagels or Kaiser buns; and Tuck-n-Rolls (speaking to Marcus’ gymnast days, but wrapped in a burrito).
And that’s just breakfast. Lunch and dinner menu items are equally heavy handed (what the hoagies and sandwiches are called). There are also Bumbling baskets (chicken or fried fish with fries), and even salads have been rechristened as “Toss Ups.”
As awareness has grown for Marcus’ friendly little eatery on 37th Street, she’s increased menu offerings to include traditional breakfasts and backed off on some of the stumbling language.
She kept the winning burger recipe and added more variations: try the Nutz and Klutz burger, a hand pattied burger spread with peanut butter, the Mac-n-Cheese burger or the smothered green chili burger. They’re a few of the ten burger creations on Klutzy’s menu.
There are a bunch of positive reviews and patronage is increasing steadily. Marcus continues to expand menu offerings to meet customer’s requests for their favorites, and old friends from the Digger’s days are stopping in to support her, too.
It just might be that Marcus is finding sure footing with this new restaurant venture.
To Go to Klutzy’s Eatery
Where: 2903 37th St., Evans, CO 80620
Hours: Mon - Sat 6:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. | Closed Sunday
Contact: 970.515.6183 | klutzyseatery.com | klutzyseatery@gmail.com
Eats, seats and other deets: Smothered burritos, omelets, traditional breakfast favorites, burgers, sandwiches, hoagies, fish or chicken and fries, loaded French fry plates (green chili, pizza, or cheesy) | Stubborn soda products | Dine-in, delivery, take-out