The group behind Angelo's and Carboy Winery is replacing Logan Street with Pancho Poncho this month.
By Molly Martin
June 5, 2024
Logan Street will close on June 16 and Pancho Poncho will debut just three days later.Molly Martin
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"Logan Street suffered from an identity crisis from day one," admitsSteve Kingsbury, director of operations for the group that owns the eatery at400 East Seventh Avenue and also operates Carboy Winery, which has a taproom connected to the Logan Street space. (The group also owns two locations ofAngelo’s Taverna, one with another Carboy Winery.)
"[Logan Street] was also a victim of circ*mstance. It opened at the end of 2019 and didn't really have a chance to immerse itself in the neighborhood before the pandemic shut down indoor dining," he adds. "Then, after the pandemic, people were excited to get back to what they knew and missed."
So the team began discussing the idea of swapping out the current concept for something new, and landed on Pancho Poncho, a Mexican concept that will debut on June 19, just three days after Logan Street is set to close on June 16.
While a Mexican restaurant connected to a winery may seem like an odd choice, there was one big driving force for the choice: the loss of nearby Benny's, the beloved neighborhood Mexican restaurant at301 East Seventh Avenue that has not reopened since the pandemic. "I grew up in Denver and remember Benny's well," says Kingsbury. "I have such fond memories of it. I just loved it."
Benny's closed in March 2020 and has not reopened since.
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As did many other fans. In 2022, Benny's fans got a hint of hope when a Facebook post announced that Benny's would indeed reopen. But there have been no updates since (the location did get cited by the city for unpermitted work last month); according to Kingsbury, his group has been in touch with the family of Benny's owner Benny Armas and was "led to believe that concept is not coming back." Now the group is hoping to fill that hole.
Plus, Kingsbury adds, Craig Jones, one of the owners of the Carboy/Angelo's group, "always wanted to open a Mexican restaurant" — and had long wanted it to include the name Pancho as a nod to one of his childhood friends.
The biggest challenge has been trying to figure out how to "bridge that gap" between Pancho Poncho and the attached Carboy Winery, Kingsbury notes, adding that the team "nailed it. They knocked it out of the park."
Bar manager Max Smith "has a really creative mind," Kingsbury says, and has found a way to "bring cohesion" between the two concepts with a co*cktail lineup that includes options such as sangria and a wine-a-rita, both of which have been hits with diners who've tried them at Logan Street in recent weeks. Pancho Poncho will also offer traditional Mexican beverages made with agave spirits.
Logan Street's happy hour has been a hit, and Pancho Pancho will offer happy hour deals, too. "This one's even better," Kingsbury assures, adding that everything will be priced around $6 to $7.
The food side, though, "is my favorite part of all of this," he says. The group decided to offer its entire kitchen staff, from dishwashers to chefs, the chance to take ownership of creating the menu and, as part of that, to profit-share in the new venture.
"When we made the decision to let this menu be theirs, we knew we wanted to compensate them for that...and we've got a path for some to actually get an ownership stake in the future as well," Kingsbury explains.
The food menu, which was also inspired by what Benny's offered, will include such staples as burritos, enchiladas, tacos and molcajetes using recipes that "come from the minds and hearts of the guys and gals in the kitchen," many of which"go back generations in their families," Kingsbury notes.It will be the kind of cheesy Den-Mex fare that is popular in the Mile High, but with a real focus on fresh"salsas and marinades, and the quality of ingredients."
And yes, there will be green chile on the menu, too. "Itis spectacular," Kingsbury says. "We went through about thirty different variations; everyone in the kitchen had their own version." Though it won't be listed on the menu, there will be vegetarian green chile available as well.
"I think the green chile and thequeso blanco will be reason enough to come back time and again," Kingsbury concludes. "Closing Logan Street is bittersweet, but everybody is really excited."
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