And so after twenty years, Sushi Sasa closed up shop. Fortunately, chef/owner Wayne Conwell has another eatery. But many of the other restaurateurs who shuttered their eateries in 2024 do not.
On January 1, Molly Martin tallied the openings (over 270) and closings (just over 100) in metro Denver over the past year. And in their comments on the Westword Facebook post, readers responded with their own thoughts about the local dining scene, Westword's coverage...and the end of Sushi Sasa. Says Dusty:
Heartbreaking. My first date with my beau.Adds Matt:
Another one bites the dust. I guess folks are going to those sushi chains from Texas and California instead.Offers Dustin:
You can still get his great sushi at his Tai Tai concept off Hampden. Enjoyed the sushi and talking to Wayne!Recalls Carolyn:
As concierge at Hotel Teatro for almost a decade, Sushi Sasa never failed to wow.Counters Brett:
It's tragic to see iconic venues getting flushed. Denver is a shell its former self, '90s through 2010s.
GTFOH. The food in Denver was lower-mids even a decade ago, let alone twenty-plus years ago. The transplants are the ones bringing really good food here! You’re insane if you think Denver was a good food city before people brought it here from other places.Responds Michael:
So many gone. I'm especially saddened by the loss of all of our 24-hour diners. Tom's, Denver Diner, Breakfast King. Now there's only IHOP and Denny's for the late-night crowd. Even Pete's Kitchen is only 24 hours Friday and Saturday. If you don't want to drink, listen to the pounding of club music, or have a stripper take all your money, Denver shuts down by 10 p.m. now.Adds Donald:
RIP Denny's on Alameda at Santa Fe, joining the late Racines. Is there a survivor, a decent coffee shop resto anywhere in the central area? Basic menu, late hours, comfortable lighting and chairs, quiet enough to talk, and accessible? The latter is important. You don't want business associates and visiting older relatives to hassle for parking. Hotels used to have these. (But they also had a 'quiet bar.')Answers Alan:
It's 'cause Midwesterns pushed out all the natives, and the Midwesterners are so soft and vanilla they have a bedtime. So there is no need for 24-hour diners any more. I know what you mean, though. There used to be a plethora of restaurants open late. Now it's all just corporate garbage just like is offered in the Midwest and out East.Suggests Jovauhun:
Go support the new places! Quit bitching about the closures.Adds Chris:
If i only read Westword, I would be pretty depressed.Since Westword writes about the openings and the closures, Chris must be a selective reader. What do you think of the dining scene? What would you like us to cover in the new year?
