Basil Flats opened in 2010 in Longmont with an eye toward growth — slow,local growth — while keeping the focus on a quality menu and good customer service. Now five years later, founder Joe Serafin, previously a founding investor and chief operating officer at Noodles & Company, is unveiling a second location in Boulder, just off 28th Street and Baseline Road. The new Basil Flats had a soft opening over the weekend, with its grand opening scheduled for tomorrow.
Basil Flats is a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant that sources meats and produce from Boulder County farmers. "We took the whole coast of the Mediterranean for our palette — from Israel over to Spain and down to Morocco," says Serafin. The resulting menu includes a scratch-made roster of flatbread sandwiches and pizzas, gyros, falafel and salads. "Our gyros are 100-percent all-natural beef and Colorado lamb from Clint Buckner at Boulder Lamb," Serafin adds. Other local purveyors include Full Circle Farms, Zweck's Fresh and Ollin Farms. Basil Flats' flatbreads are made in-house and grilled over open flame.
Serafin was raised in Boulder and attended Boulder High School and the University of Colorado, so opening a Basil Flats in the city has been a long-term goal for him. The new location near the university's Williams Village previously housed Drakes Haus burgers, and is a spot that Serafin had his eye on for years. "I wanted it before the building was even built," he explains. After Drakes Haus closed in December, he approached the building's owner to seal the deal. "I grew up here and lived in 'Willville' my freshman year," he adds, "so this location is very special to me."
But thhis Basil Flats has more going for it than location: It also boasts a second-floor patio with a wide-open view of the nearby Flatirons. Basil Flats will be open every day from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. with regular menu specials in addition to the standard board. Serafin says there may be a few promotions for the grand opening tomorrow, so keep an eye on the company's Facebook page.