Lucky Noodles on Colfax Is Closing January 24

It's becoming an all-too-familiar sight: the dreaded Instagram post announcing yet another independent restaurant closure in Denver. This time it's Lucky Noodles, the cozy neighborhood Thai spot run by Kamolrat “Ploy” Limpapath that recently landed on our list of the Top 100 Restaurants in the city.

In November, Limpapath told Westword that she was feeling the squeeze of rising costs, a major factor in the decision to close. "Everything was just adding up — the cost for the minimum wage, food cost, [bad] economy," she explains. "All the food costs because in one dish we put so much. I never cut any corner, because if you do not make it correct, make it right, it's not going to taste good."

Lucky Noodles was profitable in 2024, but the rising costs were foreboding, Limpapath says. And after five years at the same Colfax location, she adds, it feels like it might be time to change things up.
Lucky Noodles' last day is set for Friday, January 24, and Limpapath plans to fully enjoy and soak in her final moments running the cafe that she spent years working at seven days a week, surrounded by plants, her "lucky dog statues" and her regulars.

She's not 100 percent certain what her next move will be, but she does have some irons in the fire. She owns a small commercial building on 33rd and Downing, but it's still under construction, and she'd prefer to rent that out to a tenant.

Another option is finding a new location that is larger, with more foot traffic, in order to bring in more revenue and buffer rising costs.

Whatever the solution, Limpapath promises that she'll be back. "I want to make noodles that you will never forget," she concludes. "People came to Lucky Noodles because our dishes, like the Tom Yum that I serve you, it's five hours for the flavor, for the broth, and for all the ingredients and curry. ... Wish me luck. I will find something. If I need to break all my piggy bank again and if it makes sense to do it, I will. I will."

Lucky Noodles will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and noon to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through January 24; it's located at 1201 East Colfax Avenue. For more information, visit luckynoodlesthaidenver.com.