Summit County, CO Colorado

SUMMIT COUNTY - Po' Boys restaurant in Frisco is serving up some of the country's most coveted cuisine, Cajun food. Located on Main Street Frisco, Po' Boys is looking to serve customers with tasty Cajun cuisine and a friendly atmosphere to enjoy sports and music. One of the things that makes Po' Boys such a friendly visit are owner-operators Jason Roberts and Johnny Welsh.

Roberts is a native of Summit County and is commonly referred to as "the Frisco Kid." He got his first bartending job 11 years ago at the Old Dillon Inn while attending Colorado State University. Attending classes during the week and bartending on the weekends, Roberts knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life here in the county. Now 34 years old, Roberts resides in Frisco and runs Po' Boys with good friend and fellow owner-operator Johnny Welsh.

Originally from New Jersey, Welsh moved to the county nine years ago. He studied Italian language, literature and culture at Syracuse University in New York. After school he moved to Italy and started translating books from Italian to English. He eventually made his way back to the U.S. and came west to be with his brother who was building houses in Leadville. Welsh has held jobs in the service industry since the age of 14. Now 35, he's created a secretive drink menu which includes his own recipes.

Roberts and Welsh first met three years ago. They were both bartending in the county and found they had mutual friends. When Welsh got wind of something new on Main Street he stopped in to get the scoop. Roberts had been longtime friends with local restaurant owner Dan Fallon and together they conceived the Po' Boys idea. After finding out the scoop on the new prospective restaurant, Welsh jumped on board and is currently a stakeholder in the new venture.

Taking a hands-on approach, Roberts and Welsh have been known to bartend, serve, bus tables and clean dishes - all the while fulfilling their managing responsibilities. "I haven't been happier being behind a bar," said Welsh, and he feels they have a great staff overall.

Much of the Cajun-inspired menu at Po' Boys comes from Chef Sean Little, who's originally from Lafayette, La. The menu consists of items like po' boy sandwiches, chicken and sausage jambalaya, crawfish etoufée and a large variety of oyster options. Po' Boys offers a wide variety of beverages including the famous Hurricane and the house specialty Po' Punch.

Going into their sixth month of business, Roberts and Welsh are having a great time. "It's all about the fun and excitement," said Welsh. Mostly, they're really enjoying being a part of the Frisco Main Street culture. "We're bringing new things out every week, and our checklist is getting smaller and smaller," Welsh said about the goals of the new restaurant.