Another Denver restaurant chain bails on Boulder

This article first appeared on BusinessDen.com, a BizWest news partner.

Maria Empanada won’t be expanding to Boulder after all.

BusinessDen reported in January that the empanada chain was adding a spot at 2609 Pearl St. in Boulder, which would have been the company’s fifth location.

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The company is now trying to sublease the 1,600-square-foot space, which was once home to Salvaggio’s Italian Deli. The deli closed in 2021.

Axio Real Estate broker Brian Frank is marketing the space. John Livaditis, another Axio broker, said construction prices went up and the Maria Empanada project in Boulder never got going.

“Construction costs are killing more business momentum than anything.  We’re finding that everything is taking twice as long and costing twice as much. It’s difficult to do deals.”

Maria Empanada owner Lorena Cantarovici did not respond to calls and emails seeking comment. She opened her first Maria Empanada shop in Platt Park in 2011.

The pivot comes on the heels of several other high-profile closures in Boulder. Rosenberg’s Bagels is closing on The Hill, per previous BusinessDen reporting, and so is Boss Lady Pizza.

And Frank’s Chophouse is also shutting down.