The patio at Campfire Lakewood at 840 Tabor St. in Lakewood. (BusinessDen file/Courtesy Unique Properties)
Restaurateur Jared Leonard has closed three of his four remaining Denver-area restaurants, including one whose property he lost to foreclosure last fall.
Grabowski’s Pizzeria, which moved from RiNo to Lakewood in 2023, and Leonard’s two Campfire restaurants in Lakewood and Evergreen, which opened in 2021 and 2022, all closed over the weekend.
“It’s not a terribly unique story,” Leonard told BusinessDen. “It’s the industry right now. … I would say everything has gotten harder over the last two years.”
Another of Leonard’s restaurants, AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q Steakhouse in West Wash Park, closed in August.
Leonard blamed the rising cost of everything and said it was easier for things to slip through the cracks when operating multiple locations.
“When the guy comes to fix our walk-in freezer, it’s $3,000, and it used to be $1,000,” he said.
Leonard noted that the restaurants he closed were all full-service operations, which cost more to run, from staffing to liquor inventory. His remaining eatery in the metro area — AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q in south Denver — is a counter-service joint.
Leonard also operates two AJ’s restaurants in Mexico.
There had been signs of struggles in Leonard’s local operations. He lost the Campfire Lakewood property to foreclosure in October but had been continuing to lease it. BusinessDen reported last month that a dozen lawsuits and judgments had been filed against Leonard’s restaurant groups, Campfire Concepts and SSC Hospitality, by lenders, food suppliers and payroll firms.
Leonard said Campfire Lakewood was never profitable, although it “was on a good trajectory.” Campfire Evergreen and Grabowski’s, both of which operated in spaces he leased, were successful at times and challenging at other times, he said, and “this was the time to call it.”
“I don’t have investors or partners,” Leonard said. “It’s just me. Our bankroll just isn’t deep enough.”
The patio at Campfire Lakewood at 840 Tabor St. in Lakewood. (BusinessDen file/Courtesy Unique Properties)
Restaurateur Jared Leonard has closed three of his four remaining Denver-area restaurants, including one whose property he lost to foreclosure last fall.
Grabowski’s Pizzeria, which moved from RiNo to Lakewood in 2023, and Leonard’s two Campfire restaurants in Lakewood and Evergreen, which opened in 2021 and 2022, all closed over the weekend.
“It’s not a terribly unique story,” Leonard told BusinessDen. “It’s the industry right now. … I would say everything has gotten harder over the last two years.”
Another of Leonard’s restaurants, AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q Steakhouse in West Wash Park, closed in August.
Leonard blamed the rising cost of everything and said it was easier for things to slip through the cracks when operating multiple locations.
“When the guy comes to fix our walk-in freezer, it’s $3,000, and it used to be $1,000,” he said.
Leonard noted that the restaurants he closed were all full-service operations, which cost more to run, from staffing to liquor inventory. His remaining eatery in the metro area — AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q in south Denver — is a counter-service joint.
Leonard also operates two AJ’s restaurants in Mexico.
There had been signs of struggles in Leonard’s local operations. He lost the Campfire Lakewood property to foreclosure in October but had been continuing to lease it. BusinessDen reported last month that a dozen lawsuits and judgments had been filed against Leonard’s restaurant groups, Campfire Concepts and SSC Hospitality, by lenders, food suppliers and payroll firms.
Leonard said Campfire Lakewood was never profitable, although it “was on a good trajectory.” Campfire Evergreen and Grabowski’s, both of which operated in spaces he leased, were successful at times and challenging at other times, he said, and “this was the time to call it.”
“I don’t have investors or partners,” Leonard said. “It’s just me. Our bankroll just isn’t deep enough.”
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