Located at 439 E. Main Street in Montrose, Wild Horse Wine and Whiskey was created as a direct result of COVID-19 according to owners Scott and Julie Mijares.
“The previous owner of our building became exasperated with the challenges that COVID and online shopping and shut the doors,” says Scott. “Juli and I saw Montrose as an emerging small town that was investing in its future, so when this historic building came up for sale, we decided to take the plunge.”
Montrose Business Times (MBT): What were some of the challenges you faced getting your business open?
Scott Mijares: We had never been in the bar/restaurant business. Our background was entrepreneurial but not in that industry.
Over the previous 22 years we developed a vintage wooden postcard business based on the island of Kauai, Hawaii and we brought that business to Montrose 1999 when our youngest daughter decided to attend the University of Colorado. When we purchased the building in 2020, we spent 18 challenging and very fun months renovating it.
Our plan was to create a warm inviting setting that would honor the heritage of Western Colorado. Our bar top was hand made from 30-year-old pine sourced in the San Juan mountains and our walls are adorned with historical photos of Montrose.
The lighting is soft and the stone fireplace is a great place to enjoy a delicious glass of wine or whiskey and a charcuterie board.
MBT: What makes your tavern unique?
We are firm believers in supporting local businesses, which is why we only serve whiskeys that are produced here in Colorado.
Our selection includes over 50 Colorado whiskeys; some from small distillers whose spirits cannot be found in local liquor stores.
As the owner/operators of this small locally owned tavern we give our customers great service and an excellent experience.
We offer free tastes of all our whiskeys to ensure our visitors get exactly what they will enjoy the most.
MBT: What do you hope your customers will feel when they step in your doors?
When a local or visitor comes into the Wild Horse, after their first visit they usually leave with the words, “We’ll be back.”
That is because our focus is to make it the most pleasurable experience possible for everyone who walks through our door.
MBT: What is the biggest challenge to your business?
One of the biggest challenges for us has been to find people who we can feel comfortable with working at the Wild Horse.
Because it is our “baby” and we have invested so much into creating a reputation for outstanding service, we worry potential employees may not maintain those standards.
Besides, we really enjoy what we do and love the friendships we have developed along the way and we want our employees to feel the same way.
MBT: What, if anything, has changed since you opened your doors.
Not much has changed since we opened. We researched our plan carefully and we track our expenses to the penny.
As a career entrepreneur and former investment banker, I learned early that the key to business success was to not repeat what failing businesses do.
Reduce risks whenever you can and don’t get ahead of yourself.
MBT: What advice do you offer to aspiring entrepreneurs?
Perhaps the most important tip I have for aspiring entrepreneurs is, “Make People A Fan.”
If you can get your customers rooting for your success you will always have customers to patronize your business.
Juli and I are very grateful for the support we have received from the good people of Montrose and the surrounding area.
We continue to be optimistic about the future of our growing community.
To us, Montrose has small town values and big town opportunities.
We hope everyone will continue to support our local entrepreneurs and wish everyone great success in 2025.
Note: Scott Mijares was recently elected County Commission for District 1. He completed orientation with the state of Colorado and was inaugurated early in January.
Jen Wolfe is a freelance contributor for the Montrose Business Times. She owns a brand marketing services business called Jen Wolfe Creative.
