It was in the very early morning hours of Feb. 10 when, under a cloud of smoke, news began to spread that the iconic Baked in Telluride was burning to the ground.

BIT, Telluride’s oldest existing restaurant, first opened its doors in 1976. In the 34 years since then the bakery served countless affordable meals to locals and visitors alike. One of the town’s largest employers, BIT also supplied a variety of bagels and breads, from challah to sprouted wheat, to a variety of retail outlets in the region.
“I just wrote 25 paychecks, including my own,” said owner Jerry Greene, the day after the fire. “I’m most concerned about my employees who are suddenly out of work.”
An investigation into the cause of the fire determined that the cumulative effects of years of intense heat from the restaurant’s oven triggered the blaze, which started in the floor boards.

But Telluride’s beloved BIT is rising from the ashes. After the Telluride Historic and Architectural Review Commission gave Sante Architects’ building application the go-ahead in July, BONE construction went to work constructing a new and improved Baked in Telluride building, which will be reminiscent of the original structure.