NewsCoronavirus

Actions

Gut-punched by coronavirus, Denver restaurants knocked cold by snowstorm

Posted
and last updated

DENVER — For the last five years , Mihai Jurcau says he's been used to seeing a packed bar at Platt Park Brewing Co., until they closed their doors on Tuesday.

"Yeah it’s pretty sad. The business is paused, we are paused but the rent is not paused, the insurance premiums are not paused," Jurcau said.

The snowstorm that pounded down on Denver Thursday didn’t do him any favors either.

"It’s like the cherry on the cake or cherry on a disaster," Jurcau added. 'If yesterday and two days ago were actually decently busy — considering the situation — we were doing a lot of to-go’s, we’re delivering, like me and one of the owners were just jumping in our cars and delivering in our neighborhood; today was definitely a sad day."

Across town, at bar and lounge Joy Hill, which opened its doors two weeks ago, owner Julia Duncan-Roitman told Denver7 they already had to lay off their employees.

"We had about 15 staff that we had just hired and trained, and everybody pulled together to get this place up and running, we hope that they’ll come back to us after this is all over," said Duncan-Roitman. "It’s shocking to go from working for two years to finally opening up a place and then within three weeks, opening and closing the place."

Both business owners said they are thankful to the community for their support so they can stay in business.

Jurcau said they are just trying to take everything day by day.

"To be honest with you, for us at the end of the day, yeah, we’re trying to save the business but we’re trying to save it for our staff."