U Baron Group to Close All Silvi's Locations, Open Two More Etai's

The U Baron Group (better known to most Coloradans as the founder of Udi's) has decided to consolidate its restaurant brands by closing the last of the Silvi's Kitchen locations.The Arvada address, at 7600 Grandview Avenue, closed at the end of March, while the Glendale CitySet outpost, at 686 South Colorado Boulevard, will remain open through the end of April.

"The decision to close Silvi's Glendale was difficult, especially considering how many people we feed daily. However, the timing was right, and it is now time for our family to move on," the U Baron Group said in a statement released earlier this week.

There was also a Silvi's at 2550 East Colfax Avenue, which the family changed over to a separate restaurant concept called the Good Son in early 2015 (it's now called the Goods, under new ownership). All of the Silvi's were originally opened under the Udi's Pizza Kitchen name; however, the company switched over to Silvi's in 2014 after the Udi's name was purchased by Boulder Brands as part of the acquisition of Udi's gluten-free division.
According to Etai Bar-on, son of founder Udi Bar-on, the closures are part of a move to focus more on the Izzio Artisan Bakery and Etai's Bakery Cafe lines. Izzio is expanding its wholesale offerings through Kroger, Whole Foods, Sprouts and other retail outlets, while Etai's is also set for growth. Bar-on notes that two more Etai's branches will open in Greenwood Village in late May: one at 6400 South Fiddler's Green Circle in the Plaza Tower One building, and another mini-cafe at 6175 South Willow Drive in a new office complex.

While most of the Izzio Artisan Bakery production is sold directly to grocery stores and other retail outlets, you can pick up fresh loaves of handmade bread, croissants, cinnamon rolls and buttery kouign-amann at the Izzio counter inside the Denver Central Market on Larimer Street, where the entire Izzio pastry production line was moved when the market opened last summer.