After more than five years in the works, Norwood Young America’s newest restaurant, Copper Canyon Bar & Grill, has officially opened its doors to the public.
Owned by husband and wife restauranteurs Derek and Katie Jensen, the eatery officially opened to the public on Monday, July 24. Derek comes from a background in concrete construction and the couple own Jensen Decorative Concrete in Cologne, while Katie has been a server and bartender for over 20 years. Together, the two use their combined experiences in purchasing, renovating, and owning restaurants. Katie’s background helps with operating the restaurants, and Derek’s in remodeling and renovating the spaces. In addition to Copper Canyon, the Jensens also own Pounder’s Bar & Grill in Cologne and Floyd’s Bar in Victoria.
The couple and business partners have been working on this project for nearly six years. The two were gearing up to open Copper Canyon in the months leading up to the pandemic, with the goal to open in July of 2020. They had already dedicated two years to the restaurant, which was originally set to exist in a 4,000 square-foot never-before-used space at Heritage Strip Mall, where they had been building the bar and grill from scratch.
Once quarantine forced everything, especially the restaurant industry, to a halt, Derek and Katie then decided to switch gears and purchase a different building in a different location, requiring them to start from the beginning, and pushing the opening date out another few years.
Despite the obstacles, the Jensens were determined to open Copper Canyon. “This purely was a project that we wanted to do to add to our community,” says Derek. “We either wanted to add to the community that we live in, or we wanted to move, so we chose to do something for the community, and we were able to employ 25 people right off the start, and bring a new restaurant to town,” he adds.
The diner, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and has a full-service bar, offers a menu that’s closely based off of the menu at their location in Cologne. Derek says this was the most efficient way to get the doors open, and serve up dishes he and his wife know their guests love. Plates include a “Sweet n’ Spicy” grilled chicken sandwich, a Canyon Burger topped with bacon, onion petals, and their signature Canyon sauce, fried pickle chips, salads, tacos, and various classic breakfast dishes including biscuits and gravy and eggs Benedict.
When it comes to the design, Copper Canyon is located in an old Pizza Ranch building, so the owners did their best to use some of the existing wood work, while still elevating the space.
The floors and bar are a cherry color, with the table tops a natural wood, and the chairs black. The bar sits slightly off center of the dining room and wraps around six televisions. The space is clean, simple, and modern. It’s clear the Jensens know what they’re doing.
As for a grand opening, for now, Derek says they’re just glad to finally be open. “That’s enough satisfaction for me.” And who can blame him? Opening nearly six years on since the idea of Copper Canyon came to the Jensens must not only be rewarding, but quite the relief.
Copper Canyon is located at 425 Merger Street in Norwood Young America. The restaurant is open seven days a week, and serves breakfast daily until 1 p.m. The kitchen is open Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The bar is open until 11 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, as well as Sundays, and until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.