The hits just keep on coming for the Bonnie Brae neighborhood. Last month, Bonnie Brae Tavern closed. Now, across the street, the Saucy Noodle, a cozy casual Italian sit-down restaurant is preparing to close according to a Denver Post story. The family-style restaurant, operating in the same location for 58 years, is now on a month-to-month lease after its building was sold for $2.2 million in mid-July.
A rapidly changing neighborhood, the COVID Pandemic, and a lack of parking all contributed to the business decline as the owners, Nathan Markham and his wife and co-owner Erin have been seeking to exit the property prior to the recent sale. The new landlord, The Robert L. Naiman Co., plans to remodel the building and increase rent, according to the Markhams. The owners are unlikely to survive another round of rent increases, according to the article.
The beloved family restaurant had a 3.5-star rating on YELP and had a host of devoted followers.:
That leaves Bonnie Brae Ice Cream as the longest remaining tenant in that area, with 77 years as the neighborhood’s iconic ice cream shop. First started as a Dolly Madison ice cream shop, the location changed hands 36 years ago and became Bonnie Brae Ice Cream. Their building is separate from the structure which includes the Saucy Noodle on the same side of the street.
This continues the transformation of old Denver retail businesses that have been gutted by economics, changing consumer trends, demographics, and tastes.
Photos: Westword
Always too bad to see a long-standing restaurant shut down. And the high rents for restaurants across Denver really suck. But I won’t be too sad if it is replaced with another good restaurant. I personally didn’t have any special memories there, and my experience was that the food was good, but not “wow” good. So as long as the space remains a restaurant, instead of some stupid bank or office sharing space, OK with me.