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Denver Cafe Beet Box Bakery Among Restaurants Closing Ahead Of Tighter Restrictions: 'Tried To Ride It Out'

DENVER (CBS4) - Some restaurants are shutting down one day after Gov. Jared Polis and the State of Colorado announced a new ban on indoor dining due to coronavirus in several counties and the City of Denver starting Friday. Beet Box Bakery has been a Denver staple for people with dietary restrictions.

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The vegan and gluten-free café has been in business since 2013. It's just one of the countless businesses across the state feeling the pinch during the coronavirus pandemic. They announced Wednesday they're shutting down for good.

"This is a lot bigger than just us here," said owner, Blair Ednie. "We tried to ride it out as long as we could, but we just started to see the writing on the wall. Sales are declining, weather gets poorer, there are lots of cases of coronavirus cropping up, employees are scared and customers are scared."

Beet Box Bakery, at 22nd and Downing, closed in March, at the beginning of the pandemic, with 20 employees. They re-opened in June with only nine employees.

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"We're just seeing that it's not going to be tenable, so it's responsible for us to shut down in an orderly way and make sure that people have some stability," he told CBS4's Andrea Flores.

Even with a takeout-only system, Ednie says cafes like his can't sustain on that model long-term.

"Having your revenue cut in half?" he said. "How long can anyone survive that?"

With only a few days left to sell baked goods, Beet Box hopes people continue to support small businesses in the coming months.

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"Any kind of patronage you can give to them is going to help," said Ednie. "If we prioritize our health, and mental health for that matter, and make it through this, there will be another side to this."

Ednie has started a GoFundMe to help his employees. All of the money raised will go directly toward the employees as they search for new jobs.

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