Disaster delays opening of Dueling D’s BBQ in South Routt, but owner says it won’t dampen her spirit
Dana Christensen/Courtesy photo
A waterline issue will keep barbecue fans in Oak Creek and Routt County waiting a few more weeks before they get a taste of what Dueling D’s BBQ & Grill is bringing to the menu.
“We are trying to open, but we had a flood and we had to replace the floor,” owner Dana Christensen said Friday, Feb. 24. “We had to gut the entire building, and it was totally unexpected.”
She explained that a waterline leading to the ice machine inside Dueling D’s BBQ & Grill broke during the night in the middle of January, and when she returned the next morning, the entire building was flooded.
Christensen brought in large fans and dried things out relatively quickly, but she said that at some point, a new floor had been put on top of old carpeting, resulting in several issues that needed to be resolved before the restaurant can open.
“We dried the water the next morning that had flooded all through the dining room, into the kitchen and everywhere, “Christensen said. “We got it all up, brought in fans and thought we were fine.”
However, the water that remained in carpet leached into the floor, and three days later, the floor was buckling and curling.
“We ripped it all out, neutralized it and got down to the bare floor,” Christensen said. “Then we were able to put a brand new floor on it.”
Christensen said that in the next few weeks, the top priority is getting everything back to normal.
She said that all the kitchen equipment, including sinks, had to be moved into the main dining room after the waterline break. That equipment will have to be moved back into the kitchen and installed before a new opening date. The dining room, with its new flooring, will also have to be put back together.
“We are not actually putting a date on it,” Christensen said. “The work of putting it all back together is going to take about a month.”
The building at 116 E. Main St. in Oak Creek has a long tradition of bringing great tastes to South Routt and was home to Chelsea’s, which operated in the location for 26 years. It was also home to Max’s Lounge.
Christensen, a pit master, purchased the spot last year and had planned to open in February offering family barbecue recipes, as well as a taste of Mexican, using the meats she crafts in the smoker for nachos and tacos.
She said while the flood has set her plans back a few weeks, she is excited to bring her passion for barbecue to Oak Creek as soon as possible.
“I’m glad it happened before we opened,” Christensen said. “I try to look at the bright side all the time, and just keep moving forward. The bright side is we don’t have that carpet in the building anymore.”
John F. Russell is the business reporter at the Steamboat Pilot & Today. To reach him, call 970-871-4209, email jrussell@SteamboatPilot.com or follow him on Twitter @Framp1966.
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