Tough times in Boulder, too

No one ever said the restaurant business was easy. Most people (the smart ones) would actually say that, short of becoming a medical guinea pig or hand-grenade catcher, the food service-industry is one of the toughest out there. Fun, sure. Exciting. But not the easiest way in the world to make a buck.

But even by restaurant industry standards, Boulder is having it rough right now. In a January 5 article in the Daily Camera, writer Alicia Wallace ran down the butcher's bill:

Dolan's? Closed by the marshals for more than 17 large in unpaid taxes.

Bimbamboo? Done, as we reported earlier in the week. Burnt Toast is gone, too, as are a couple of coffee shops, as well as the the b.side lounge, as Jon Solomon reported here.

And those are only the newest victims, following Spud Brothers and Sunflower, Seven Eurobar and the Scotch Corner Pub. A killing season, indeed. Although the restaurant world is one of the few places where the notion of reincarnation is actually real (at least two of the above spaces already have new tenants looking at moving in), losing ten or so addresses in just a few months is still a serious hit for a small scene like Boulder's.

You can check out the full article (and musings on the industry in general) here, but when you're done? You might want to go out and buy a cheeseburger or a falafel or something. Those favorite places in your neighborhood need you now more than ever, and if you're not careful, you might turn around one day and find them gone.