Reader: Two explanations for Caldonia's closing

For more than three decades, Caldonia's was an Aurora oasis, a beachhead of beer and barbecue. Why did Caldonia's close after 34 years in business? Our calls haven't been returned, and the website says only this: "We are proud to have shared our passion and services with our community for...

By Patricia Calhoun

March 15, 2012

Audio By Carbonatix

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For more than three decades, Caldonia's was an Aurora oasis, a beachhead of beer and barbecue. Why did Caldonia's close after 34 years in business? Our calls haven't been returned, and the website says only this: "We are proud to have shared our passion and services with our community for 34 years so this comes with a heavy heart that we are closing Caldonia's indefinitely."

But one of our frequent commenters offers two possibilities:

Says Dave Barnes:

1. Our landlord raised our rent so much that we said: Fuck It.

2. We own the land and got an offer we could not refuse. Fuck It.

With the closing of Caldonia's, Aurora has lost one of its major party spots. But it still has an abundance of ethnic eateries, which are listed in Yum, a new guide put out by the city. Read about it here.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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