From shared roots to small-town success, three Meeker business owners with ties to Colorado’s Front Range have built new lives in the same community. From left to right, Josh Harrison of Backcountry Outpost, Frank Maestas of Piceance Creek Tavern and Alexis Stone of Off the Olive Branch stand in their respective businesses. JARED HENDERSON PHOTOs
MEEKER | What started as separate decisions to leave Colorado’s Front Range has turned into an unexpected connection in Meeker, where three business owners from the same region have built new lives — and businesses — in the same small town.
Alexis Stone, owner of Off the Olive Branch and On the Grapevine; Frank Maestas, owner of Piceance Creek Tavern; and Josh Harrison, owner of Backcountry Outpost, all trace their roots to the Denver metro area. While they didn’t arrive together — and weren’t necessarily friends — their paths eventually crossed in Meeker.
For Stone, the move began years before she became a business owner.
“I bought my house in Meeker in 2019 knowing that I wanted to get out of Denver,” she said.
Stone’s path to business ownership came unexpectedly. After moving to Meeker, she later learned Off the Olive Branch was for sale and reached out to the previous owner.
“I just kind of had a conversation with her,” Stone said. “It was kind of random.”
That conversation soon turned into ownership — and a fast-paced new chapter.
“It’s insane. It’s great, and I absolutely love it, but it’s insane,” she said. “It’s just been non-stop.”
Maestas’ path to business ownership followed a different route, continuing in the industry after stepping away from a previous venture before taking over Piceance Creek Tavern.
“The town seems like they love it,” Maestas said, pointing to events like comedy nights and live music. “We enjoy it.”
While both owners built their businesses independently, they later realized they shared a connection dating back years — attending the same high school, though at different times.
“Not a thing,” Stone said with a laugh when asked what she remembered about him.
Maesras, who was younger at the time, remembered her differently.
“She was pretty quiet,” he said.
Despite the gap, both said ending up in the same town years later was unexpected.
“It’s kind of neat that we ended up in the same town after so many years,” Maestas said.
For Maestas, however, his connection to the Meeker area stretches even further back.
“My family’s always hunted Piceance Creek since the 1940s,” he said. “That name plays a big part in my heart.”
Though raised in Denver, he spent years returning to the area before eventually building a business tied to that history.
“I spent a lot of time over there hunting, scouting and riding,” he said.
That familiarity — both with the land and with familiar faces — helped ease the transition.
“When you go to a place you don’t really know a lot of people, and then you run into somebody you know, it’s nice,” he said.
Stone said discovering others from a similar background also made the move feel less isolating.
“It’s nice to know it’s not just me,” she said. “To know there are people who also made the move and also want to invest in the community.”
Josh Harrison’s path to Meeker came through a different connection.
“Meeker chose us,” he said. “We had some close family friends that had moved out here a few years before us, and we fell in love with the place.”
Harrison, now entering his fifth year with Backcountry Outpost, said his business has continued to evolve.
“It’s grown so much,” he said. “I would say this year we’re approaching it as your new favorite fly shop that sells suppressors.”
Unlike Stone and Maestas, Harrison said he only recently realized the shared background between the three.
“Honestly, for this interview, that’s when I learned that,” he said.
Still, he said the connection isn’t surprising.
“There’s something about this place,” Harrison said. “It’s one of the better-kept secrets of Colorado.”
That appeal, he said, comes with expectations.
“If you’re not willing to be part of the community, it may be a little bit of a rough adjustment,” he said.
Despite coming from similar areas, the three business owners are not a close-knit group, but they are part of a broader network of local businesses that support each other.
“We’re all friendly,” Stone said. “We actively support one another, and we want to see each other succeed.”
That support often shows up in simple ways.
“If somebody needs something outdoorsy, I send them to Josh,” she said. “If somebody needs a place to go watch the game, there are great options — you can go to Smoking River, you can go to Piceance.”
Harrison echoed that sentiment, noting the collaborative nature of the business community.
“We all support each other. We all take care of each other,” he said.
Running a business in a small town comes with challenges, Maestas added.
“When there’s anything going on in town, we’re always dead,” he said. “But it’s great for the community.”
Still, all three said the rewards outweigh the difficulties.
For Stone, it’s the people.
“It’s the conversations I get to have and the people I get to meet,” she said. “I absolutely love it.”
For Maestas, it’s the relationships built over time.
“When people come in and thank me, we do giveaways and stuff — people really enjoy themselves here,” he said. “They enjoy the food, the atmosphere, and they come back, too. Just connecting with people is really good.”
And for Harrison, it’s the place itself.
“There’s something here that’s special and unique,” he said.
In Meeker, their journeys may have started in the same region, but it’s the community they’ve found that’s brought them together.