Now the Baker neighborhood staple that has been serving some of the best green chile in town for decades is getting ready to say goodbye. After 34 years, it will serve its last green chile-smothered burritos in the location on December 23. "We all have mixed emotions. We're happy, sad, excited, nervous. We're everything," Vicente notes. But then he adds, "This isn't a goodbye. It's a see you later, see you soon."
As soon as mid-January, which is when the family hopes to open its new location at 7195 Federal Boulevard in Westminster, in a space that had been home to a Señor Burritos before.
The business has been family-run from the start, when Martha and Jose Miguel Baylon Sr., who were originally from Mexico, founded it as a way to share their love of food with the community. Jose passed away 21 years ago, but his spirit lives on through the passion of his wife and family, who've kept the business going ever since.
Its first expansion was to Lakewood, where there is still a location at 2553 Kipling Street. When Señor Burritos debuted a third outpost in Westminster, Martha purchased the property on Federal Boulevard — but the family members running that location decided to close it, so she has been renting the space out. It's currently home to a Taco River outpost, but that lease is up on January 1, offering the family the opportunity to move back into a space they own, cutting the cost of rent.
Rising costs were one of the major factors in the decision to leave Baker. Vicente says the family is grateful for their landlord, who has been supportive of the business for decades and hasn't hit them with big rent hikes, but rising taxes and Denver's sharply increasing minimum wage have been a struggle. "It's cheaper to operate in Westminster," Vicente notes, adding that "Broadway's changed."
The homeless population in the area has had an increasingly negative effect on the business in recent years, he explains, from encampments out front to break-ins through the back gate, one of which involved taking the garden hose and leaving the water "running all the time."
Señor Burritos isn't the only business to move out of the area and farther south down Broadway, whether because of neighborhood crime or rising rents...or both. Mutiny Information Cafe left its longtime location in late September to move to Englewood, on a block that had once housed another longtime Mexican favorite, El Tepehuan.
Still, the decision to move out of the Baker space was a difficult one for the Baylon family. "I know once we pack everything up from here, it's gonna be harder for all of us, because this is where my grandparents started," Vicente says. "Like my mom said, it's like we're leaving my grandpa behind here. I know in my heart he'll still be with us, but it feels like we're leaving him here."
Jose's spirit can still be felt in the original restaurant. On a cool fall day, Vicente works the cash register and greets regulars from behind the counter, which is decorated with an ofrenda honoring his late grandfather. He was only three years old when Jose died, but Vicente still gets choked up while talking about the legacy he left behind — and how he hopes to carry it on. "My dream is to make Señor Burritos keep going strong, continue my grandparents' legacy and hopefully open more Señor Burritos and keep it going," he says.
But that wasn't always the plan. Vicente was born and raised in the metro area, where he attended Westminster High School and was its mascot, Wolfie. His childhood pastime of playing with trains at the back table near the kitchen inside Señor Burritos turned into an adult dream to be a conductor, and he attended school to get certified in that career. But then COVID hit, so he returned to the family business to help out. "My mom's been trying to fire me ever since," he jokes, but now he's committed to helping the business live on.
"He's the future," says Sergio Baylon, Vicente's father, as he stirs a giant pot of green chile, which he's been making the same way, using the same family recipe, for over three decades. "It's sad," Sergio says of the move. "It's gonna be a big change — my car will probably drive itself here!" he jokes.
The new location, though, is much closer to where the family lives. Another bonus: It includes a kitchen that's nearly double the size of the one in Baker, as well as a parking lot, and a drive-thru. "That's going to be something new for us; we've never done that before," Vicente notes. The menu will stay the same — and may even expand.
The Baylons are calling the restaurant's last day its "grand finale." The plan, Vicente says, is to "be open normal business hours. We're gonna invite everybody in one more time. I know it's going to be emotional for us."
In a goodbye letter to the neighborhood, the family writes:
The neighbors, customers, and employees that have come through our doors to enjoy good food and good company have made our small Mexican restaurant with a big heart, what it is today. When our parents/grandparents, Jose and Martha, opened Señor Burritos originally, they did it because they loved food, they loved coming together to share something special, they loved working with their family to build something that would live through generations. And we hope you felt that when you walked through our doors, ordered tamales during the holidays, ordered a burrito smothered with green chile, or even walking by and waving hello.
Thank you to all our incredible employees, past and present, who have helped build this warm and welcoming place. The hard work, dedication, and passion that has been put into every plate served, made Señor Burritos a beloved staple in the Baker Community. None of that could have been accomplished without you all."
Thank you to our loyal and amazing customers. Please know we cherish the conversations we have with you every day; we remember more than your order. We remember when you were a kid when you come in with your own. We remember when you came in with that special someone every Friday. We remember when you would stop by to grab lunch for your coworkers. We remember the time you came in after a hard day and just needed some normalcy and a warm smile. And we are so grateful you could trust us with these moments.
We cannot express enough how much we love and appreciate everyone who has supported our business through every hurdle tossed in our direction like COVID and of course the loss of our own Father/Grandfather. He was a business owner but also a husband, father, grandfather, and someone with big dreams. Twenty-one years later, we miss him every day but the neighbors and friends who continued to come in, helped us grieve, helped keep us alive, and encouraged us, kept Señor Burritos moving forward. Which is what makes this move so hard.
While "it's gonna break our hearts to say goodbye," Vicente concludes, "we're excited to keep our story going."
Señor Burritos is located at 12 East First Avenue and will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday through December 23. For more information, follow it on Instagram @senorburritos1.
