Dotty Wampus, a quirky, immersive chocolate tasting and entertainment experience just outside Cortez, plans to expand by adding bedrooms to the existing house for a bed and breakfast, along with a micro-distillery.
The small, guided chocolate tours that explore food, storytelling, magic tricks and other theatrical elements are run by the couple Bryan Davis and Joanne Haruta.
They have backgrounds in Las Vegas entertainment and California distilleries, have won awards for liquor ventures, run a restaurant and circus, and have patented a new distillation technique. They traded the fast-paced Las Vegas show scene for a quieter, Mesa Verde-adjacent operation on 37 acres.
The Montezuma County Board of Commissioners approved the zoning application after extensive discussion about potential commercial impacts.
Commissioners Jim Candelaria and Kent Lindsay noted that the road serving the property is not county maintained and does not appear capable of handling increased traffic, guest use and emergency access for fire trucks or ambulances.
Davis told the board the current internal road is 15 to 18 feet wide and plans are underway to widen it to 20 feet. The operation is designed to remain under 15 vehicle round trips per day.
“I don’t have any problem with it, its just the impacts of the road and the growing area down there,” “That road is not suitable for commercial traffic,” Lindsay said.
The applicants requested a high-impact permit because the micro-distillery requires light-industrial zoning but did not request one related to exceeding traffic thresholds. The applicants argued that under both the Code of Federal Regulations and Colorado statutes, fermenting and distilling are explicitly defined as “agricultural processing,” which is allowed under the property’s current zoning.
While commissioners voiced concerns about road conditions and access, they ultimately approved the project after determining the high-impact permit could be revoked if problems arise.
An adjacent neighbor to the east expressed full support during public comment. He praised the owners for their adherence to codes, said they do not obstruct local views and noted that the chocolate factory is already a highly recommended attraction for guests staying at other short-term rentals in the area.
Mesa Verde Country Tourism Director Brian Bartlett also spoke in support, highlighting the limited production of spirits and the property’s opportunity to provide an exclusive, upscale experience.
Bartlett said the distillery will be designed to be very small, producing one to two barrels per month to meet a “notable gap in services for a growing segment of our upscale visitation audience” and elevate broader regional tourism.
“Offering a limited production-property exclusive spirit will provide precisely the type of memorable and place-based experience that today’s high-value travelers are exclusively seeking from a tourism and economic development perspective,” Bartlett said.
awatson@the-journal.com
