Beloved Tennyson Street Diner Staves Off Closure, Thanks to Community Support

"Things are definitely looking up," says Casey Keller, who has owned Wendell's, a diner at 3838 Tennyson Street, with her husband, Roy Benoit, since the two reopened a shuttered restaurant in September 2020.

Last month, the couple shared that Wendell's was close to shutting its doors for good. "We probably only have a couple of weeks left," Keller told Westword at the time.

With rising rent and product costs, the business had fallen behind on rent and was in the midst of an eviction — though Keller and Benoit were holding out hope that they could find a way to keep the doors open.

"When we first talked about what was going on and made it known to everyone, it was hard because it's been four and a half years of our lives that we've committed to this restaurant, and the thought of losing it was heartbreaking," Keller recalls.

"We were able to find a way through it, largely thanks to community support," adds Benoit. "And there were some individuals who stepped up to help us. Apparently, it means something to the community for us to be there."

A GoFundMe, which remains open with a goal of $30,000, has raised nearly $11,000 so far and is still accepting donations.
"There have been a fair amount of people that have reached out to us on Instagram or in text and have been supportive, been sharing the story," says Keller. "The amount of people who have said how important it is for small, local businesses like us to remain and keep Tennyson really true to what it is, it's been incredible to feel the love and support from all of these people."

"It's been quite moving," Benoit adds.

For now, the eviction process has been halted. "There was some negotiation that happened with the landlord," Benoit explains. "This was not a situation where they wanted us out. Obviously, it took being able to catch up, but they were willing to come to some agreements as well to allow us to stay there. ... Out of so many places on [Tennyson Street] that have turned into corporate and chain and there's a lot of big commercial landlords coming into Denver, ours isn't. To see from their point of view, that they want the small businesses there, too, is important and seems to be kind of unique at the moment."
Wendell's hours have been limited as it worked toward the threatened closure; it's only been open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Starting March 19, though, "we're going to open back up Wednesday and Thursday," Keller says.

But even though the immediate threat has passed, "we're going to continue to need that support," Benoit says. "Just because we're still here now, it's still going to be a lot of the same challenges. We still have to pay rent, we still have to pay for expensive eggs," he adds with a laugh. "There's still going to be all of those things, and we still need people to continue to come in."

"Every bit matters for small businesses," Keller adds. "We have been able to keep our doors open and keep the spirit of Tennyson, thanks to people shopping local and supporting our small business."

"This is an example of the fact that a community, individuals in a community, it does matter," Benoit concludes."You can make a difference for the businesses in your community and the people in your community."

Wendell's is located at 3838 Tennyson Street and is currently open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday through Sunday with plans to add hours on Wednesday and Thursday starting March 19. For more information, visit wendellsbreakfast.com or follow @wendellsdenver on Instagram. To donate to its fundraiser, visit gofundme.com/f/help-wendells-stay-afloat.