That's what I wrote at the beginning of December, from the best information available at the time. The owners, who already have the original Ali Baba in Golden and a second restaurant in Highlands Ranch, planned to have everything up and running at their third Ali Baba, this one in the Landmark project in Greenwood Village (at 5380 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard, right next to the Hapa Sushi there) long before the ball hit bottom in Times Square.
Of course, plans in the restaurant industry are rarely worth much of anything, and Ali Baba hit some snags in the process. Snags meant delays, so the opening was pushed back to January 1. Then they missed that, too, and there was some talk of opening on January 4.
Missed it.
On Monday, they were talking about shooting for January 8 or 9. But the word yesterday? Monday, January 11 for a soft open. For very-nearly-sure this time.
I talked to someone at the restaurant yesterday afternoon, and he told me that the final inspection of the Greenwood Village location was taking place even as we were talking, but that the owners were still waiting on tables, of all things.
"It sounds ridiculous, I know," I was told. But right now, the tables are holding everything up. Tables that, if all goes well, ought to be in place Monday.
At least, that's the plan...
