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COVID In Denver: Restauranteur Creates Rapid COVID Testing Site

DENVER (CBS4) - A Denver restauranteur took COVID-19 testing into his own hands. Juan Padro, Founder of the Culinary Creative, runs restaurants like Bar Dough and Ash'Kara. He's opened a rapid testing site for people in the restaurant industry to get affordable and quick results.

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Brianna Borin works in the restaurant industry. She got a rapid COVID-19 test at a discount thanks to a new site keeping restaurants in mind.

"For employees who are not getting the hours that they normally would right now, or the pay and compensation, this is a great resource for them at a cheaper cost," Borin said. "More than anything, quicker and faster results allow us to stop the spread quicker, and that's important right now, especially in restaurants."

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Padro helped finance the site at Nurture, a health and wellness marketplace at Federal and Speer Boulevards. He also partnered with R2 Medical Clinic to organize the testing operations, COVID-19 tests and logistics for the site.

"If there's a COVID outbreak, and you close your facility for four days in a restaurant, you lose four days of revenue, plus you're paying your employees for four days," Padro said. "That's really costly, and if that happens two or three times, that can put a restaurant out of business, especially in a time like this."

Nuture cofounder Kelly Campbell is happy to have the testing onsite. They're also offering immunity kits to people who come by to get tested.

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"Our priority in the scenario with COVID, and without, is to keep our community safe and well. If we have an opportunity to keep people healthy, especially during this time, we certainly want to provide not just our physical space, but our resources as well," Campbell said. "We have everything from primary concierge medicine, acupuncture, massage, financial wellness therapy, nutritionists, physical therapists, and chiropractors."

Padro hopes the new site will help to keep restaurants running and people employed.

"I firmly believe that restaurant workers are essential workers, even if not deemed that way," Borin said.

The rapid tests are $50 with the restaurant industry discount until Jan. 4. For the public, a rapid test is $149.

For more information, or to make an appointment, https://denvercovidrapidtest.com/.

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