An Italian restaurant on East Colfax Avenue has been hosting a months-long wake for itself, but the owner of Benzina isn’t going anywhere himself.
Brad Anderson said on Instagram that once Benzina closes – currently set for May 31 – he plans to open a new concept inside the distinctive space at 4839 E. Colfax Ave.
“I’m tied to a long lease, so we need to try something different to keep this cool building alive,” he wrote about the stunning, Googie-style former muffler shop building (it won an architectural award when it opened in 2021) that houses the restaurant and its swanky but funky vibe.
Although he didn’t say what the concept will be, Anderson promised to keep the majority of his staff once he makes the change.
He didn’t respond to an email or an Instagram message seeking comment for this story.
Anderson first announced in February that he planned to close the restaurant at the end of March and began sharing details on Instagram about why, decrying everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to city regulations to the cost of labor, food, rent and property taxes.
He has also criticized the East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit project, which has closed off the street to both auto and pedestrian traffic in some places, and is expected to last another two years.
But after an outpouring of love and visits from customers — Anderson said it was the best March he’d had in four years — Benzina announced it would stay open until May 31.
Business began to slow in April, however, according to Anderson’s Instagram posts, and dropped precipitously in May, to the point where he said he wasn’t sure the restaurant would last through the month. Last week, for example, he lamented that Benzina only had reservations for 8 people on Tuesday, 12 on Wednesday and 23 on Thursday, adding that the spot needs about 85 customers per night just to break even, and begging people to show up.
Examples of menu items and pricing at Benzina include: Neapolitan-style pizzas ($25), Wagyu beer tartare ($26), beef cheek ravioli ($28), squid ink tagliatelle with rock shrimp ($30), and wild mushroom and black truffle risotto ($35). Aperol spritzes and margaritas run at about $15, while martinis and specialty cocktails are mostly around $16.
“When you budget sales for the week at $30,000, and end up only doing $20,000 because of weather or two NBA/NHL playoff games, you can no longer pay your bills, your rent or worse, your employees,” Anderson wrote this week. “So if you can, please come in and help us out.”
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