The iconic 84 year old drive-in that serves homemade root beer, fresh hamburgers, fried chicken, hand-breaded shrimp, and other classics that are made with love, is closing its doors indefinitely. Restrictions from the Covid-19 pandemic haven’t affected the restaurant like others in the area. Instead, JB’s is shutting its doors because of staffing issues and because the owner wants to keep his and his mother’s well-being the first priority.

The car-hop based restaurant originally decided on reducing its hours. JB’s used to keep its doors closed during the winter and open Tuesday through Sunday during the summer. Now, they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and are limiting operating hours from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., after years of operating from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., (11 p.m. in the summer). JB’s was forced to shorten its hours because they didn’t have enough staff; the beloved restaurant was missing employees in the kitchen as well as in the host/hostess role. JB’s relied on high school students and teenagers to keep the doors open and the lights on but the number of teen staff is dwindling. Instead of opening in the spring like usual the owner plans on keeping the car-hop closed indefinitely.

Geneva Clark, the original owner’s daughter, started working when she was 12 years old and other family employees have kept the business afloat. Geneva and her husband, Clarence, purchased JB’s from her parents in 1970 and continued serving their delicious food at the carhop restaurant. Geneva’s son took over when Clarence passed away in 2015 and has been running the business since. Teacher and coach Dean Grable enjoys going to JB’s with his family and getting burgers. “They are a family-owned restaurant and we always try and support those places,” said Grable.  

Remi Baessler (24) and her family visit the drive-in often for the good food and the iconic environment. “I love going to JB’s to get ice cream and fries, plus spending time there is always fun because it has cool 80s vibes,” she said. JB’s is the perfect place for Coloradans to spend time at while enjoying scrumptious food that’s been cooked with love. The notorious car-hop closing its doors will leave behind a legacy in Northern Colorado and memories for the Greeley community.