Noodles by Kenichi has closed it’s doors. What was welcomed as a good addition to the Aspen cheap eats dining scene this past October never got off the ground. Reports of the closing where confirmed by a visit to the empty noodle shop last night when we found a closed sign posted on the door. Truly unfortunate that they couldn’t squeak out till the end of the season but articles in both the Aspen Daily News and Aspen Times mention they where bleeding money which left them behind in rent.
Is this lower level space cursed? It is a common occurrence. For awhile now, no restaurant located in this space has ever done well. From Chequers restaurant, which after what seemed like years of renovations then never opened for business, to Texas Reds BBQ, which operated for a little more than a year then transformed into the comedy club before evaporating. You would think however that the new medicinal marijuana dispensary next door to Noodles by Kenichi would have generated a steady stream of hungry patients next but to no avail. With the rent at $5,500 a month for the small corner space we may see another Aspen restauranteur try another eatery here but can they break the curse?
Is this the wrong time to open any new Aspen restaurant? The cocky assumption that Aspen is recession proof has proved to bite us in the ass. Lower numbers of visitors and lower spending among those visitors has left many Aspen restaurants hungry and it’s no surprise that what has traditionally been a tough market to prove yourself in has become even tougher for any new restaurant in Aspen.
The rumor mill is also flush with tales of restaurants that aren’t so new not being able to make the cut, perhaps up to 4 more casualties this spring. The rumors also state that some Aspen landlords may be more prone to let their space sit empty for “years” than re-negotiate leases with restauranteurs for fear of lowering that monopoly like rent ceiling that a bulk of their properties still generate.
It’s always been a changing landscape in the Aspen restaurant scene and we just hope that ultimately it is for the best. Good luck to whomever attempts to break that curse.
View Aspen Restaurants that are still alive.