After 17 years, Obee's, 1606 S. Lemay Ave., is under new ownership.

Lou Jerome, who opened the only Obee's store in Fort Collins in 2002, retired and sold the shop to Jeremy and Shari Block in mid-January.

Much like Jerome, who worked in the tech industry before opening Obee's, Jeremy Block worked in corporate sales and Shari worked in social services before deciding to move from Eugene, Oregon — to be closer to family in Iowa — and work for themselves.

"We didn't want to go all the way back to Iowa," Jeremy Block said. They settled on Colorado, where they lived several years ago. "After spending time in Fort Collins, we fell in love with it," he said.

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Jeremy Block ate at Obee's 14 years ago en route to a concert at the Mishawaka Amphitheatre. "I remembered it," he said. When he saw a "for sale" listing for an independent sandwich shop in Fort Collins "I realized it was one of two places and hoped it was Obee's."

The rest, he said, is history.

"Knowing the patronage Lou built is another reason why this was an easy decision for us," Jeremy Block said. "There were myriad positive reviews ... (because) of the hard work and dedication he put into the business."

Block retained all employees and does not plan any major changes to the menu or hours. An interior refresh is on its way, however. Gone are the Jumanji and Trivial Pursuit game boards in favor of local art. And soon, Obee's could add signature salads to its soups and sandwiches.

Obee's has also invested in NoCo Nosh, a local delivery service that launched this week with more than 30 restaurants. Most of its members will transition to the new platform by July.

"We are trying to gravitate away from third-party delivery services that are unsustainable," Block said.

NoCo Nosh got its start after D.P. Dough franchisee Anthony Bartolone solicited the help of Jon Sewell, a fellow D.P. Dough franchisee in Iowa who started a third-party delivery service for local restaurateurs.

As former Iowa residents, the Blocks were familiar with NoCo Nosh's predecessor. "Once approached about it, we were among the first investors," Jeremy Block said. "This is the type of town that wants to support independent, local business."

Pat Ferrier is a senior reporter covering business, health care and growth issues in Northern Colorado. Please support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by subscribing: See Coloradoan.com/subscribe to learn how.