Café Brazil Closing After More Than Thirty Years

After another tough year for the restaurant industry, some longtime staples are opting to close for good. At the beginning of the month, Big Red F announced that it was shuttering the LoHi location of the Post, ending the group's twenty-year run at that address. And last week, chef Alex Seidel announced that eighteen-year-old Fruition will serve its last meal in the Country Club neighborhood on January 12.

The latest closure news comes from Café Brazil — though there is some hope that it may continue in a different form. The restaurant was founded 32 years ago in LoHi and moved to its current home at 4408 Lowell Boulevard in Berkeley in 2003. Through the years, owners Tony and Marla Zarlenga have served Mediterranean-inflected South American cuisine paired with warm hospitality that has created a community of loyal fans and earned many Best of Denver awards over the years, including Best Place for Feijoada on the Go in 2020, when indoor dining was banned, and Best Central/South American Restaurant in 2021.

On December 22, Tony Zarlenga posted the following statement on the restaurant's Facebook page:

A Farewell or a New Beginning for Café Brazil?
For over three decades, Café Brazil has been more than just a restaurant. It has been a second home for its cherished guests, a canvas for culinary imagination, and a vibrant piece of Denver’s cultural fabric. Today, with a heavy heart, we share that Café Brazil’s future is uncertain as our lease will not be renewed as of January 1, 2025.

A Challenging Year
The past year has been grueling. Like many in the restaurant industry, we faced a brutal decline in business, escalating costs for products and labor, and an inability to make ends meet. The challenges of 2024 have left an indelible mark, exacerbated by the lingering impact of the pandemic, which many local restaurants never fully recovered from.

Throughout this, we remained steadfast in our commitment to offering high-quality, accessible dining experiences, refusing to pass rising costs onto our loyal patrons. However, the pressures have become insurmountable.

A Personal Note from Chef Tony
This journey has been one of heart and persistence, spanning 32 years. Café Brazil’s recent recognition as a legacy business by the City and County of Denver is a testament to the love and dedication we’ve poured into this space.

For many of you, this restaurant is more than a place to dine—it’s a community where you are known by name, where stories are shared, and where memories are made. To those who have been with us through every high and low, you are the heartbeat of Café Brazil.

Marla and I have faced personal and professional challenges over the years, including her ongoing health struggles, which have made this journey even more complex. Yet, your unwavering support has been a source of strength for us both.

The Road Ahead
While the Café Brazil you know and love may not continue in the same form, the spirit of this space and its story may yet live on in a new chapter. We hold onto the hope that somehow, in some way, Café Brazil’s legacy will endure.

We extend our deepest gratitude to every guest, staff member, and partner who has been part of this extraordinary journey. Your loyalty and kindness have meant the world to us.

Thank you for being part of our family.

With love and gratitude,
Chef Tony

The news prompted plenty of comments lamenting the loss, including some from notable names.

Chef Jeff Osaka, owner of Osaka Ramen and Sushi-Rama, writes: "Chef Tony and his team are the unsung heroes of the Colorado dining scene. Most people forget this little corner of Denver, but Café Brazil has been around longer than all my restaurants combined! Cheers to 'The Road Ahead!'"

Adds former Westword food and drink editor Mark Antonation, "I’m so sorry to hear this. What a legacy of love, laughter and great dining memories you have given Denver. I hope this is not the end for Cafe Brazil."

That's a sentiment we wholeheartedly second.