Another day, another heartbreaking Denver restaurant closure: “The small guy can’t compete”
"The cost of labor, food, rent and property taxes has created a situation where the small guy can't compete."
admin
It hurts a little extra when it’s close to your heart.
Benzina — a 4-year-old neighborhood restaurant and bar serving wood-fired pizzas, handmade pasta and other dishes — said Wednesday that it will close at the end of March.
“We have been serving some really great food and drink to the Denver community for almost four years, but it has been an uphill battle since day one. Covid did the food industry no favors. The state and city government have made it almost impossible for a single operator to survive in Denver,” Benzina owner Brad Anderson wrote on Instagram.
“The cost of labor, food, rent and property taxes has created a situation where the small guy can’t compete. If something is not done, and fast, prepare to see only big, out-of-state, multi-unit operations flood the market,” he continued. “I’ve been a part of the Denver food scene since 1981 as both an employee and employer, and I have never seen it this bad. I hope the state and city wake up before it is too late.”
Located inside a Googie-style former muffler shop building at 4839 E. Colfax Ave. (which won an architectural award when it opened in 2021), Benzina brought a swankier feel to a stretch of road dominated by dive bars and fast-food joints. Floor-to-ceiling windows, a bocce ball area out front and a cocktail bar specializing in amaro completed the look.
In addition, the spot served one of The Denver Post’s favorite pizzas from this list of 11 of the best pizza joints in and around Denver.
The closure is another in a string of both high- and low-profile closures over the past six months as restaurateurs decry the same points that Anderson made in his Instagram post.
