There have been changes over the decades, of course. As envisioned by founder Michael Herrera, a businessman and broadcaster for Colorado’s first Spanish-speaking radio station, KFSC-AM, La Fiesta wasn't just a restaurant, but a party — a place where people who loved Denver's unique style of Mexican food could eat during the day, and where fans of Mexican music could dance at night.
By the late ’70s, though, La Fiesta had pared back its hours and solidified its reputation as a lunchtime gathering spot, attracting everyone from cops to lawyers to Colorado Supreme Court justices to Michael Herrera himself, who came in to eat lunch just about every weekday until his passing in early 2020.
Hot Green Chile, Cold Snap
But the family carried on, and at the start of La Fiesta's 61st year, the Herreras faced a new challenge: A pipe burst in the building during the mid-January cold snap. When Michael's son, Robert Herrera, who oversees La Fiesta, opened the doors the next morning, he found the place flooded. He thought the cleanup would be quick, but as workers surveyed the damage, they discovered asbestos — a souvenir of the building's initial incarnation as a 1950s Safeway.So what would have been a mop-up project became a major remediation. Robert initially estimated La Fiesta could be closed for a month, but repairs stretched to ten weeks. Fortunately, he says, his father had negotiated a very good insurance poilcy, and all the employees got their usual paycheck while the place was closed, Robert says.
But now, the work is done, and La Fiesta reopened its doors on Friday, March 30 — albeit softly, as the kitchen gets back up to speed. Because even a place hot green chile can't fight off a cold snap.
Opening Day
La Fiesta's reopening comes just in time for its traditional Opening Day festivities on Friday, April 5, when the Colorado Rockies play their first game of the season at Coors Field. Margaritas will be $3 all day (from 11 a.m. opening to 9 p.m.), and there will be giveaways ever hour of such items as T-shirts, gift cards, and pints of salsa and green chile. As thanks for getting back open, La Fiesta will also be holding a food drive for Denver Rescue Mission, so bring donations of canned goods. It should be a grand reopening on Opening Day.
La Fiesta, 2340 Champa Street, is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, and 4 p.m. to close on Saturdays.
