Meet Rainbow Shultz | Chef/Owner Jamestown Mercantile Cafe

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rainbow Shultz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m proud of the community that makes up The Merc. The Jamestown Mercantile Cafe is an amalgamation of the people who give their love and time to it. As the “living room” to this mountain community, we are a portal to the public sphere that all the local artists and creatives can use to share their work with the world. From the paintings hanging on the walls, to guest chefs, book readings, gem shows, art classes, music, music, music, we share a space that can truly inspire sharing and receiving of each others’ talents and love. As the owner/proprietor, my job is just to hopefully steer this living space as gently as possible to make the room for people’s love and passion to show up.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Up here in the mountains West of Boulder, the spots to eat and drink are spread far apart, but worth the driving. The Gold Hill Store has great quiche, a fun bar and great back patio. The Gold Hill Inn is a great place to catch music on Sundays when they offer their casual bar menu and the front porch is a chill spot to enjoy a cocktail and a sunset. Over in Ward, The Millsite has a pool table and burgers and a jukebox. It’s always fun to pop over. Of course if you were to drive around between these three towns, there are great spots to jump in the creek, take a hike, and take in some beautiful mountain views.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to give a shout out to one of our most beloved community members: George Ridgik. George has been jumping in as a Merc employee for at least a decade, but when he’s not in an apron in the kitchen, if he’s hanging out on a Merc couch or chillin on the porch, he’s still always on his way to help someone with some project. If you ask George for help, he’s slowly getting into his truck and on his way. George has a non-profit, ArizenFly that takes people flying in his small plane, who are new to sobriety, to inspire healthy new passions. He consistently drives supplies from The Front Range down to his friends on the Navajo Reservation, and during the winter, you can often find him rounding up sleeping bags from people with extras to bring to the homeless in our area. Our community up here is Jamestown, and around the greater Merc community is made up of amazing artists and individuals who inspire each other. We all love the cool vibe and humble work of our friend George.

Website: jamestownmercantile.com

Instagram: @jamestown_mercantile

Image Credits
Mae Leake, Sal DeVincenzo