MONTPELIER − Montpelier restaurant, Rooster’s Grazing, is celebrating a lifelong dream as it officially celebrates its first-year success story.

December marks a full year of the Morales family not only serving up hearty comfort food, but a year of building community connections and finding their place in Bear Lake Valley’s dining scene.

Rooster’s Grazing owner, Felix Morales, said the path to restaurant ownership was a long, hard-fought path. Long before opening his establishment, he spent years gaining hands-on experience in many kitchen roles around Jackson, Wyo. starting from the bottom as a dishwasher in his early twenties, working up to a prep cook, line cook and then eventually a sous chef. The climb gave him deep respect for the culinary arts and a clear understanding of what it takes to run a successful kitchen.

Morales worked hard developing his own flavors and refining signature dishes while catering his side business, Don Felix Tacos for fair crowds across Wyoming including Afton, Jackson Hole and Evanston. He built a loyal following all while continuing to work full-time in restaurants in Jackson−experiences that would later shape the Rooster’s Grazing menu today.

The years spent in fast paced and high-pressure kitchen environments pushed Morales to find a place of his own. One that created a slower pace and a strong sense of community involvement.

When he came across the available space in Montpelier, he knew the timing was right. The Bear Lake valley checked all the boxes of balance he was looking for and made the adventure happen alongside his family.

Opening in Montpelier came with a steep learning curve as he would not only be opening a restaurant, but also experience everything that involved building and operating a restaurant from the ground up for the first time−everything from construction and layout design to staffing and developing a full menu.

The first year was a lesson learned and came with steady growth as the community welcomed and continued to support the new business. 

The menu is a unique blend of classic American diner favorites twisted with Morales' personal touch, offering breakfast burger steaks and classic comfort dishes such as the house favorite, Henhouse Alfredo. All dishes are entirely made from scratch down to every sauce, dressing and in-house prepped seasonings.

Dishes are proudly prepared and built start to finish with quality care and ingredients. Morales guarantees guests will enjoy and taste that level of fresh quality in every bite.

A must try dish that originated for the fair crowd and quickly became a fan favorite is Morales' Asada Fries−fries unlike any others that were designed to be shareable, filling and full of flavor.

“The community is absolutely amazing," Morales said. "The response has been overwhelmingly positive and incredibly kind and supportive. We always try our best to give back to the community in whatever ways we can to return the support they have shown us.”

Looking forward, Morales remains focused on what brought them to Montpelier in the first place: work hard to create a welcoming cozy place where locals and visitors alike can gather with exceptional fresh dining choices.

Rooster’s Grazing didn’t just survive their first year. It thrived and has become a part of Bear Lake valley’s favorite food destinations.