Travel Back in Time at Johnson’s Station in Longmont – Travel Boulder

For decades, Johnson’s Corner Gas welcomed weary travelers passing through Longmont. Now, the long-standing gas station is getting a second life as a modern community gathering space.

Last month, the building was reborn as Johnson’s Station, a restaurant and bar in Longmont’s Prospect New Town neighborhood. At this indoor-outdoor destination (1111 Neon Forest Circle), families can grab a bite to eat, sip cocktails, attend events and just enjoy each other’s company.

Designed by architect Eugene Groves in 1937, the concrete building stood for decades on Longmont’s Main Street. It was home to the first Johnson’s Corner, a chain of gas stations that ended up expanding throughout the state (including the highly visible location on I-25 in Johnstown).

Jack Kerouac is rumored to have stopped there, but historians can’t be sure. In his semi-autobiographical novel “On the Road,” the American writer describes hitching a ride to a gas station in Longmont, but he doesn’t say which one.

“It was beautiful in Longmont,” he wrote. “Under a tremendous old tree was a bed of green lawngrass belonging to a gas station. I asked the attendant if I could sleep there and he said sure; so I stretched out on a wool shirt, lay my face flat on it, with an elbow out, and with one eye cocked at the snowy Rockies in the hot sun for just a moment. I fell asleep for two delicious hours, the only discomfiture being an occasional Colorado ant.”

In 2003, Prospect developer Kiki Wallace purchased the Art Deco-style gas station and moved it to the new neighborhood.

But getting funding to renovate the historic building proved tricky and, in 2019, Wallace sold it to real estate developer Zachary Nassar. While breathing new life into the structure, the team tried to preserve and highlight its vintage charm wherever possible. For example, they kept the original windows and had a replica neon sign built to look like the original.

READ MORE: 9 Things You Didn’t Know About Longmont

Many Front Range collaborators worked on the project, including Boulder restaurateurs Josh Dinar and Steve Queen of Working Title Food Group. They helped develop the Johnson’s Station menu, which features elevated yet approachable Americana dishes.

For example, the team put their own spin on a classic staple with the Diesel Burger, which includes smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, pickled red onions, whiskey bacon jam, Cascade hop aioli, lettuce and tomato on a potato bun. (A more affordable, scaled-back burger is also available for less than $10.)

Other favorites include the Nashville hot chicken sandwich called the Country Clucker, giant pretzels, cheese fries, onion rings and tacos. And for dessert, ice cream.

“We’re proud to offer high-quality dining options catering to a wide range of tastes and pocketbooks,” says Giovanni Leone, co-founder of Johnson’s Station.

The drink menu features pours from local breweries and distilleries, plus natural wines, crack cocktails and mocktails, and house-made infusions. If you’re looking for something refreshing, order the Tequila Mockingbird, which features watermelon- and jalapeno-infused tequila that’s poured over a watermelon ice cube and topped with mezcal. For a quick pick-me-up, try the Fig and Orange Espresso Martini.

Johnson’s Station is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. But visitors should also bookmark the events calendar, which will feature trivia nights, comedy shows, pet adoption events, live musical performances and more.