Where we came from

The spirit of Laughing Ladies began with the southwestern cuisine of Louise Desmarais in 1994. She bought the historic building and transformed its interior into a beautifully restored space.
In 1996, she sold the quaint café to Chef Margie Sohl and Jeff Schweitzer, who had recently moved to Salida after spending some time in Napa Valley honing their culinary skills and wine expertise.
Together, they had a long and successful run of 18 1/2 years; bringing fresh ingredients and a taste for fine dining to the Arkansas Valley locals.
When they decided to put Laughing Ladies on the market, the timing was just right for one of their past employees, and her husband, to embark on an incredible journey. Which brings us into the NOW and the story of the current General Manager and Chef…

Where we are now

JD and Sarah Beth Brown both grew up in the heart  of the foothills in Evergreen, Colorado. They developed a strong friendship from a young age (15 years old!) that carried them into adulthood and through many seasons and changes of their lives; until they found themselves once again single and in the same city years later. Their close friendship quickly blossomed into something more and, even before they married in 2008, they knew that a union between the two of them would certainly lead to opening and operating their very own farm to table restaurant.
With a combined work experience of over 30 years in the restaurant industry, JD in the Back of House as kitchen manager, sous and executive chef and Sarah Beth in the Front of House as a server with both fast paced and fine dining skills as well as hostess, manager and cocktail/bar tending experience; they knew they could create a restaurant that exemplified exceptional food, flawless service and excellent employer/employee relationships.
After a decade (or more!) along the Front Range, and two children later, Sarah Beth and JD had grown disenchanted with city life. They yearned to feel passionate about their   work, to make more time for their family, and they had a desire to make a home for themselves in the mountains.
Sarah Beth had spent much of her 20’s in Salida (which she lovingly refers to as her “college years”) and had maintained many of her friendships forged years ago. Over the last 8 years, they had spent several days each year exploring the Arkansas River Valley, visiting family friends and falling in love with the community that is Salida, Colorado.

It seemed that this place possessed all that they desired for their children, themselves and a possible business they could cultivate.

Long story short, their timing was just right. They moved to Salida in December of 2014 and began managing Laughing Ladies on January 15, 2015

Looking Forward

As a family, we understand firsthand about the importance of quality whole foods or “REAL” food. We believe that exceptional food is grown from the earth and raised on the land, not found in a box, a bag or a can. This is why bringing Local & Sustainable Fare to the Salida community is so important to us.
We also strive to support our local businesses, farmers and ranchers in order to bring our guests the freshest ingredients and most unique products this valley, and this state, have to offer with the smallest carbon footprint we can manage.
Moving forward as the new GM and Chef of this beautiful restaurant, we envision being able to bring in a growing amount of local products, organic and natural produce, meats and dairy wherever possible and increasing our recycling, while decreasing our waste.
It is our hope that our guests will be able to get a good sense of what this region has to offer, not only in excellent quality of food and presentation, but also what a restaurant supported by its locals can truly be.
Giving back to our community and taking a strong role in being active members of our society is hugely important to us!
We look forward to seeing you dine at Laughing Ladies in the very near future. Here’s to another 20 years (at least!)