Colorado Cafe Owner Defies Health Officials and Stays Open After Failing Inspections

A cafe owner in Kremmling, Colorado, has been fighting with county health officials for more than a year. John "JD" Schein owns Middle Park Meat Co. and kept his restaurant open even after failing health inspections and being ordered to shut down. In February, a judge told Schein to close his doors, but he refused. Now, county officials are deciding what to do next, and both sides are headed to court on September 14.

Schein took over Middle Park Meat Co. in late 2024. The restaurant has a long history in the area — it was started in 1958 and has been known for smoked meats and beef jerky. Schein is only the third owner since the couple who ran it for 35 years retired. He says he is proud to carry on the restaurant's legacy.

The trouble started quickly after Schein took over. The restaurant failed its first routine inspection on July 1, 2025, and health inspectors ordered it to close. But the very next day, the cafe was open and serving customers again. By April of this year, the cafe had failed four out of five inspections.

Health officials found several serious problems at the restaurant. Broken coolers were letting food get too warm, and there were risks of cross-contamination, which means germs from one food could spread to another. Inspectors also found issues with handwashing, expired food, and food bought from sellers that were not approved. On top of that, Schein's living area was not properly separated from where food was stored and prepared.

Schein strongly disagrees with the county's actions. He told CBS Colorado by email that health officials were lying in their reports and trying to hurt his business on purpose. He also said he plans to sue the health department for defamation, which means saying false things that damage someone's reputation. He believes the government has no right to interfere with how he runs his cafe.

To make his point, Schein now asks every customer a question when they walk in. He wants to know if they trust him and his staff more than they trust government inspectors who only visit every six to eight months. Grand County Public Health Director Abbie Baker said inspections are normally unannounced, but Schein was given the benefit of scheduled visits as a courtesy. Even so, she told commissioners that he often did not show up or return calls when inspectors were waiting outside.

At a county commissioners meeting on July 28, officials pushed for stronger action. Assistant County Attorney Shira Cohen said many of the problems at the cafe were easy to fix, like writing dates on food or labeling spray bottles. But she said Schein was not fixing them on purpose, calling it "intentional disregard for the rule of law." The commissioners voted unanimously to approve a cease-and-desist order against the cafe.

Local leaders said the situation was unlike anything they had seen before. Grand County Sheriff Brett Schroetlin noted that Middle Park Meat Co. is the only restaurant in the area where his deputies stand by during health inspections. One commissioner said it was sad to see a business with such a strong regional reputation in this kind of trouble. Health official Christine Travis said the department had never dealt with a conflict quite like this one.

Schein says he will not back down and plans to keep fighting. He describes himself as someone who stands up to what he sees as unfair government power. He even compared the situation to standing up to a bully on a school playground. Whatever happens next, both sides will face each other in Grand County court on September 14.