When Amy Kunstle was seven, her dad cut a hole in their garden fence in Pueblo, Colorado. “He saw how my sister and I played with our dolls, serving them meals of mud burgers and flowers in bottle caps,” she said.
The cut out was to provide the sisters with a pretend take-out window.
“I grew up in an imaginary world of running a restaurant,” laughs Amy. “Actually, we still serve a lot of edible flowers! In my heart, I’m still about seven.”
But Amy’s not serving any mud hamburgers now. She is founder, owner and primary manager of Pop Kitchen and Events – a shared kitchen and restaurant space on Colorado Avenue.
“I worked as a dietitian, then as a speech-language pathologist, for many years,” says Amy. “Although my parents encouraged me to do what I loved, they thought that opening a restaurant was just too risky. My dad passed on the entrepreneurial spirit though. He was a car dealer, and he was always encouraging me in my private practice. He’d ask me, ‘How many patients did you see today? How many tomorrow?'”
From 2015, two horrible years shook Amy to the core.
“I was diagnosed with breast cancer, which I had successful treatment for, but then my mother was diagnosed with cancer and my father with dementia,” she said. “They passed very close together.”
“My grief wouldn’t let me keep doing the same thing,” Amy continued. “It was time to start a new chapter.”
Amy knew she wanted to create a shared kitchen space, where several chefs could work on their own cuisines at once.
We all hit a point where we suprise ourselves! – Amy Kunstle, Pop Kitchen and Events
“It’s so hard to start up in the food industry,” Amy said. “It’s almost impossible get a loan unless you’re a franchise, and instead of having brick-and-mortar restaurant, chefs choose to work in a food truck or through online orders. In our shared space, chefs can use one of our three kitchen preparation areas to prep food for events, pop-up at our Dutch door or coordinate their own events.”
Finding the right spot was the first major challenge.
“I wanted an historical building, but also one that was accessible for people with disabilities … and it’s hard to find both,” she said. “When I heard about this place, I was so excited that I got a speeding ticket on the way over!”
“It was built in 1888 and was the first city hall in Old Colorado City,” Amy beamed. “It’s been a firehouse, a jail and a school, and when I took ownership it was a coffee shop, dress store and photography studio.”
After buying the building in 2019, renovations took four years. Now, downstairs has a strong cottage vibe, and the seating spaces upstairs pay homage to the elegance of the building, with its tall windows and tower.
As I interviewed Amy, staff were hard at work downstairs looking after customers and keeping the space spotlessly clean. Currently, Baon Supper Club, with Filipino cuisine from Chef Katie Fisco, is one of the businesses in residence at Pop.
From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, you can come and enjoy Launch, a full-service craft coffee, botanical tea and specialty beverage house that also serves delicious sweet and savory treats.
Aside from collaborating with local chefs, Pop Kitchen and Events works with local food producers, too.
“We source organic edible flowers, delicious pickles and so many other wonderful products locally.” Amy’s cuisine is eclectic; “I cook based on what’s in season, with a strong Southern and Mexican influence. We’re open for breakfast and lunch, Tuesday to Saturday.”
And what would Amy’s parents make of her restaurant? “I think they’d be proud. I think my dad would shake his head and say, ‘I knew you were going to do it!'”
For more information, including on renting a kitchen or event space, go to PopKitchenAndEvents.com.
If you go
Pop Kitchen and Events
2902 W. Colorado Ave.
Launch Coffee & Tea: Tuesday
-Saturday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
Other events as scheduled
PopKitchenAndEvents.com