Is Mona's on the Move?

Update: Although the message on the voicemail at Mona's says the restaurant had closed for renovations only through September 1, the popular restaurant and brunch spot is still closed this morning — and a peek through the door shows that while the place has been emptied, there's no visible remodeling under way. Here's our original story:

For twelve years, Mona's attracted crowds of hungry weekend brunchers to its storefront home at 2364 15th Street, in a neighborhood that became increasingly hip during that time. And it started out pretty cool: The eatery was just down the street from My Brother's Bar, and Mona's took its name from the Stefano mural that graces the side of the building, a leftover from the space's days as a cutting-edge art gallery. (Before that, it was home to the studio of owner John De Andrea — best known as the creator of "Linda" at the Denver Art Museum.)

But now that mural is about all that's left; a moving van was parked there yesterday morning, packing up the contents of Mona's. According to the restaurant's voice-mail message, Mona's is "closed  for renovations" through Thursday, September 1..That's a more hopeful message than passersby found yesterday morning, when a moving van pulled up to the side of the restaurant; most of the contents of Mona's, as well as its iconic sign, awaited pick-up in the parking lot. A sign on the door notes that the place is closed for renovation.

At one point, there were three Mona's locations in Denver; we'll be watching to see what happens to this one.