Jess' Drive Inn Closes Greeley Restaurant

The 1937-founded Greeley eatery will serve its final meals on November 13, 2026.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Dining Out

Photograph of a single-storey mid-century diner with a cream stucco facade, an empty gravel lot, and a dry cottonwood under a wide pale sky on the high plains. — Jess' Drive Inn will serve its final meals at its Greeley, Colorado restaurant on 8th Avenue on November 13, 2026, ending roughly 80 years of operation. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Jess' Drive Inn announced the closure of its Greeley, Colorado restaurant on 8th Avenue, with November 13, 2026 set as its final day of operation. The restaurant traces its roots to 1937 as Jess' Sandwich Shop and later operated as JB's from 1942 until 2020.

Why it matters

The closure ends roughly 80 years of operation at a long-standing Greeley dining site, a loss for diners who knew the restaurant under its earlier names. The operators did not state a specific reason, saying "sometimes, some things are just out of our hands."

The restaurant first opened in 1937 and operated under the JB's name from 1942 until 2020, when it closed due to Geneva Clark's failing health. Its jumbo shrimp, battered in a secret recipe, was available only from late March through October.

The players

Jess' Drive Inn

A Greeley, Colorado restaurant on 8th Avenue that traces its roots to 1937 and has operated under several names over its history.

Rod Clark

Operator of the Jess' Drive Inn food truck on the restaurant property, which he opened in summer 2022.

The details

Rod Clark opened a food truck named Jess' Drive Inn on the property in summer 2022, and the business later announced that November 13, 2026 would be its final day. Geneva Clark died in summer 2026, and the operators did not specify whether her death factored into the decision.

1937: Jess' Sandwich Shop first opened on the site.
1942 to 2020: The restaurant operated as JB's.
2020: JB's closed due to Geneva Clark's health.
Summer 2022: The Jess' Drive Inn food truck opened on the property.
November 13, 2026: Final day of operation.

Local Legacy

The closure ends an approximately 80-year run that spanned the restaurant's Jess' Sandwich Shop and JB's eras, leaving its food truck offshoot as the final chapter of the Greeley business.

Greeley diners who regularly ordered the jumbo shrimp or visited the restaurant will need to find another local option after November 13, 2026. The seasonal menu meant the shrimp was only available from late March through October, so regulars should plan final visits before the closing date.

The takeaway

Long-running local restaurants often carry community history beyond their menus, so diners who value them may want to visit before the final day to mark the end of an era.