Scratch kitchen plans spur demolition, multi-story rebuild at the former Back 40

MITCHELL — Josh Espinosa had plans to go into international business after college. Then he realized it wasn’t where he thrived. Afterward, he worked in a restaurant’s scratch kitchen. “I loved it,” Espinosa said. “I was never tired of it.” Espinosa, 33, is taking his business and restaurant experience into a new endeavor at a familiar Mitchell staple. Espinosa plans to construct a multi-story building with eatery and retail spaces at the site of the former Back 40 Taphouse Grill building, which covers five city lots at 511 N. Main St. The restaurant and retail space is to open in spring 2028, with plans to include a rectangular courtyard inspired by Espinosa’s international travels, with retail shops on the ground floor, an open-air-style market in the middle, and a yet-unnamed restaurant serving breakfast and lunch on the second floor. Espinosa hopes for architect blueprints to include a third floor for apartments and short-term rentals.

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