When Jennifer and Bryan Fahrer decided to try expanding their Wings on Wheels food truck business to a stationary food stand in the Fuel and Iron food hall in Pueblo, they never intended to one day run the place.

But when they heard Fuel and Iron – which occupies the first floor of the former Holmes Hardware building on Union Avenue — was closing, they began an impassioned dialogue with owners Nathan Stern and Zach Cytryn.

“They were adamant about closing,” Bryan said. “We were adamant about not closing.”

Faced with the prospect of several small businesses shutting down, and as many as 50 people losing their jobs, the Fahrers felt like there was only one option: to take over the food hall and run it themselves.

“We had a group of small business owners trying to do something, to get their concepts up and running,” Jennifer said. “It didn’t seem fair that they were suddenly going to be out of business.”

In February, the food truck owners assumed ownership and responsibility for Fuel and Iron, a kind of incubator system for aspiring restaurateurs, according to Bryan.

The food hall is currently composed of six independent restaurants, each with its own signature concept, run mostly by people who have spent years in the food or hospitality industries before deciding to strike out on their own.

Currently housed at Fuel and Iron are Union Pizza Co., a Neapolitan- style pizza joint; veteran-owned The Hungry Buffalo, which specializes in bison dishes; Double-D’s BBQ Shack, which focuses on smoked meats and Southern-style fixings; the Fahrers’ Wings on Wheels, featuring jumbo chicken wings and smash burgers; Custom Cravings, a “breakfast, brunch and lunch” eatery; and La Cocina Familia, a Mexican restaurant.

At the center of the space is a large bar, seating areas and a play area for children.

“There’s something for just about every taste,” said Jaymi Chavez, co-owner of Double-D’s BBQ Shack.

“One person might want barbecue, somebody else might want Italian, or chicken wings. Five people can come here, everybody can get something different, and they can all sit down to eat in the same space. We love that.”

The idea is to give budding restaurateurs an opportunity to develop their own concepts and recipes while learning the nuances of managing one of the hardest businesses to get off the ground.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 51% of new restaurants fail within the first five years. The Fahrers know that some of the Fuel and Iron businesses will suffer the same fate. But if they do, the owners won’t be left with a mountain of debt, they said.

“These people have a vision, and they need a place to see if it will work,” Bryan said.

“This is a place where they can do it without taking out a $50,000 or $100,000 business loan. They can move in here, spend four to five grand out of pocket, try their concept, build their business, develop a clientele. They can run their own business for a year, and see it if works.”

If a restaurant does good numbers for a year, they can apply for a small business loan and open a brick-and-mortar shop, like The Cutting Board, a recent Fuel and Iron “graduate.”

Miriah Moorman, who runs Custom Cravings, has spent the past 11 years working in nearly every position in the coffee industry.

“I thought it was going to be at least another five years before I could do something like this on my own,” Moorman said. “But with Bryan and Jen’s help, they made the dream happen a lot faster, with a lot less stress.”

Like the Fahrers, Jaymi Chavez and her husband, Elmer, started out with a food truck before deciding to try running a brick-and-mortar business. Their barbecue joint is doing well, with a lot of their regular customers following them to Fuel and Iron, though the transition has seen its share of challenges.

“With the food truck, we could make our own schedule,” Jaymi said. “If we wanted to take a day off, we took a day off. It was pretty simple. Here, the schedule is more fixed. People expect the restaurant to be open at a certain time, every day.”

Still, Jaymi and Elmer enjoy the challenges and are grateful to Jennifer and Bryan Fahrer for taking on the added responsibilities of managing the food hall, including employing bussers, cleaners, servers and bartenders.

“Jen and Bryan are amazing,” Jaymi said. “They took a leap of faith, and I think it’s working out.”

Levi Trujillo, who manages Wings on Wheels, worked at Fuel and Iron under previous ownership.

“The vibe is different. The energy feels lighter,” Trujillo said. “Jen and Bryan are hands-on owners. They’re here almost every day, checking on everyone, making sure everything is running smoothly. If you have a problem, you know where to find them.”

The new owners hope to accomplish a secondary mission with the food hall. They know how hard it can be to find a job for someone with a criminal record, and they would like Fuel and Iron to be an oasis for people in need of a second chance.

“We’ve all done something that we shouldn’t have done, something that we’re not proud of,” Bryan said. “Some of those people can’t find a job, and all they need is a break. We try to provide that for them. And some of them, when you get to know them, are the best people you find.”

“I have a past, and there were people who helped me when I was struggling,” Jennifer said. “We have a huge heart for people like that. They just want a job. They want to prove to the world, and to themselves, that they can do it.”

The Fahrers, who still operate their food truck, said they hope the Pueblo community will continue to support Fuel and Iron in the years to come.

“I hope that people see this as a place where they can make their vision into a reality,” Bryan said.

“I would like to see more small businesses open up and branch out into the community,” Jennifer said. “Years from now, I want to be able to look back and say, ‘Man, I’m glad we did that.’”