Dare They Mess With the Cinnamon Roll? Vern’s in Laporte, Colorado, Has Sold

The oldest restaurant in Fort Collins has bought a 77-year-old restaurant in Laporte. Both these Colorado restaurants are favored for their homestyle foods, atmosphere, and cinnamon rolls.

Vern's Place has been acquired by owners of the iconic Silver Grill Cafe in Old Town Fort Collins. Most of us will be glad that the new owners are local and understand the reasons Vern's Place has been a local favorite for many decades.

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Silver Grill Cafe has won many different awards ranging from "Best Cinnamon Roll" to "Best Bloody Mary" to "Best Breakfast."

Alan and Jackie Jantzen are the owners of Silver Grill Cafe and are now the new owners of Vern’s Place Laporte.

According to BizWest, "Alan Jantzen has a more than 30-year history in the Fort Collins restaurant business, including as director of operations for Hot Corner Concepts, a restaurant group that owns The Moot House, several Austin’s American Grill locations, Big Al’s Burgers & Dogs and Comet Chicken. They bought Silver Grill in late 2021."

Vern's Place was originally a diner, sporting goods store, and gas station owned by brothers Willard and Vern Nelson when it opened in 1946. After 30 years, they sold it to the Kittel family, which eventually became the Kittel/Lanteri family. Now, the Jantzens will take over. Alan Jantzen has fond memories of stopping at Vern's before fishing trips for a cinnamon roll.

There seems to be no official word yet on whether each establishment will keep using its own very popular cinnamon roll recipe and methods or if there will be changes.

Vern's Place has this video of their process.