Fairplay's Everyday Food Map Was Redrawn in 2026. Here's Where Breakfast and Pizza Landed.
At about 4 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, people on Main Street saw flames coming from Mr. Burro Cafe. The Flume reported that it was two below zero. Hartsel Fire Auxiliary wrote that firefighters' bunker gear was covered in ice while they worked. By sunrise the cafe was a burned shell on the corridor most people in town drive every day.
Ten months later, Mr. Burro is serving breakfast again, but at a new address on a different street. Meanwhile, the pizza place that spent two years in a parking lot has moved indoors to a building that had been empty since spring 2024. Two of Fairplay's most-used everyday spots each changed address in 2026. That makes this winter the first full cold season for the new layout, with breakfast on historic Front Street and wood-fired pizza on Highway 285 all year.
Several departments worked the fire. The Flume reported that North West Fire and Hartsel Fire Auxiliary responded first. A ladder crew from the Red, White and Blue Fire Protection District came over from Breckenridge as backup. Colorado Highway 9 was closed to through traffic, with drivers sent around on Castello Avenue. No one was hurt, and the cause was still under investigation when the paper went to print. Krystal 93's report described flames in an upper-story window, broken windows and charred walls.
The response from the rest of the food scene is worth remembering. Robyn's Nest, Java Moose and Prather's Market brought hot coffee, burritos and baked goods to the responders before their own opening hours. Hartsel Fire Auxiliary said community donations let it feed crews from Hartsel Fire, Northwest Fire, Red White and Blue Fire, Jefferson Como Fire, the South Park Ambulance District, Park County Sheriff's deputies and Fairplay Police. A GoFundMe for the cafe passed its $30,000 goal within about a week. Denver7 described the cafe as a neighbor of more than 20 years in a town of fewer than 1,000 people at 10,000 feet.
At the time, the coverage talked about rebuilding on Main Street. That isn't where the cafe reopened.
Mr. Burro held its grand reopening on July 4, 2026, at 501 Front Street. The Flume placed it in the old Millonzi's building, between the Colorado Mountain Hat Company and the Park Bar. The paper said the menu is the same as before. That means burgers, sandwiches, wraps, avocado toast, waffles, breakfast burritos, chicken fried steak, eggs Benedict, gluten-free options and a case of baked goods.
The move matters because of what else is on Front Street. The Fairplay Library is at 400 Front St. This month it is running Story Time, Lego Club, After School Club, Sing N' Sip Saturdays and a Bookfast Club. You can get coffee and eggs Benedict at 501, and the library and hat shop are a short way down the street. Breakfast now sits in the most walkable part of town instead of on the Highway 9 corridor.
The hours in The Flume's July reopening piece were 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. That was in summer, and the cafe's own website wasn't loading when we checked. Call 719-837-2028 before a cold-weather visit to confirm the winter schedule.
The second move started with a departure. South Park Brewing's last day in Fairplay was March 31, 2024. The Gazette reported that founder Paul Kemp was moving operations to Colorado Springs to reach a bigger market after nearly 10 years in town.
That same month, Josiah and Rebeca Renz opened J.R.'s Pizza Place in a food truck. It sat in the Family Dollar parking lot across from Highside Brewing. For about two years, the brewery building sat empty while the truck parked nearby built a following. In spring 2026, J.R.'s moved into the former brewery space at 297 1/2 US Hwy 285.
The truck was busy before the move. Josiah Renz told The Flume that a Friday at the truck often meant a 45-minute to 90-minute wait, "and that could be a Friday in a blizzard." The kitchen now turns out pizzas two to three times as fast, and he said waits still run 30 to 45 minutes. In the same interview, he explained what they were building:
"We live in a touristy area, and our goal has always been to create a place that locals feel comfortable going to, feel comfortable about pricing, and the quality of the food. There are also not many places in town that have seating for large groups, so we're happy we are able to add for the community."
The bigger kitchen also changed the menu. The truck could only make pizza. Now there are appetizers, salads, desserts, chicken wings and sandwiches, plus a slightly longer pizza list. The 10- to 14-inch pies come out of a wood-fired brick oven. They range from a margherita to the Honey Two Step, a red-sauce pie with pepperoni, jalapeños, cream cheese and hot honey. The Flume also reported that the indoor location lets J.R.'s stay open year-round. That makes December 2026 the first month of real winter with J.R.'s indoors and the old brewery space busy again.
The posted hours don't match. The Flume's opening story listed 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, with a 9 p.m. close on Friday and Saturday. The J.R.'s online ordering page now shows 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. On a Friday night, the 8 p.m. close is the safer bet, or call (719) 984-8040.
| Spot | Where it was | Where it is now | Hours as listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr. Burro Cafe | Main Street, until the Dec. 4, 2025 fire | 501 Front St., old Millonzi's building | 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, per The Flume in July |
| J.R.'s Pizza Place | Food truck in the Family Dollar lot | 297 1/2 US Hwy 285, former South Park Brewing | 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, per its ordering page |
| South Park Brewing | 297 1/2 US Hwy 285 | Moved to Colorado Springs, March 31, 2024 | Not in Fairplay |
| Highside Brewing | Across from the old truck lot | 411 US Hwy 285 | Check before going |
On the Highway 285 side of town, pizza and Highside's taproom are still neighbors, but the pizza now comes with indoor seating and runs year-round. Front Street has breakfast, the library and the old storefronts. Last winter, breakfast on Front Street wasn't an option.
On the bus, the commuter route makes the 285 corridor part of a winter workday for some people. For anyone picking up dinner on the way home from Summit County, J.R.'s is right on the highway.
One more piece of Fairplay news this fall concerns what happens before anyone leaves the house. Park County partnered with Ferrellgas on a propane discount program, The Flume reported. It covers county employees, residents 62 and older, active-duty military members and honorably discharged veterans. The price is based on Ferrellgas's Logical Daily Cost, the commodity price per gallon delivered to its storage, plus a set margin. The margin is $0.50 per gallon from Sept. 1, 2026 through Aug. 31, 2027. It rises to $0.55 the following year and $0.60 the year after.
Each eligible group signs up through its own Ferrellgas email address. The company checks eligibility and inspects the site before enrollment. Standard tank swaps are included, and the $50 annual tank lease fee is waived for the first year. The Flume's article lists the addresses for each group.
Old storefronts getting new tenants and a cafe rebuilt on a different block are the kind of changes that shape how Fairplay feels to live in. If you're curious how moves like these on Front Street and Highway 285 affect the homes and properties around them, the team at Choice Property Brokers LTD is glad to talk it through with you, with no pressure.
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