But for now, we'll have to: The Rotary closed its doors on May 17.
Several factors contributed to the closure, Boyd says, including staffing shortages, food cost increases, limited foot traffic and a shift in consumer behavior since the pandemic that resulted in takeout and delivery accounting for 60 to 70 percent of the Rotary's orders. “We just didn't have enough people coming in," he adds. "In the end, we realized that we needed to once again adapt, and we couldn't go to a fully takeout/delivery concept in that spot because we had all this dine-in space. To be honest, we were losing money.”
Now the Rotary plans to open a cloud kitchen that will be closer to its Avanti origins. Also called a ghost kitchen, this model lowers an owner's expenses by eliminating the need for dining space and front-of-house staff. Instead, service is limited to takeout and delivery through third-party platforms like Uber Eats, Grubhub and DoorDash. With the Rotary, ordering will also be available via its app, which allows patrons to earn loyalty points for exclusive offers and discounts.
Cloud kitchens have been gaining in popularity, even among national chains. If this first location is successful, the Rotary may look to open other cloud kitchens in Denver and possibly other cities. "That's what a lot of cloud kitchen restaurants do," Boyd says. "Some have concepts in twenty different cities and you've never actually heard of them, but when you get on any of the third-party apps, there they are.
“It's expansion in a different way — not your typical brick-and-mortar expansion," he continues. "But I also see this as the future, because I have kids, and the way that they order and eat out is so different from the way I do. They have no problem ordering just about anything and getting it delivered to them. People have become so adapted that they don't even scoff at the delivery fees or anything like that. It's risky, but I do feel like this is the way forward.”
While Boyd and his partners have not yet selected the location of their cloud kitchen, two potential spots have been identified, both closer to downtown Denver. Given the location, hours may extend later than the Rotary’s previous 8 p.m. closing time, and delivery will cater to customers within a six-mile radius, servicing much of the city including not just Hilltop, but western suburbs like Lakewood and Arvada. “If you're in the Denver central area, you're going to be able to get our food," he says.
With the new kitchen, the Rotary will also be able to bring back some of the items that had been cut because of food costs. “We ended up getting rid of some of the things that people really loved, like our sandwiches,” Boyd says, but now the popular chicken and pork sandwiches will return, while new salads, wraps and other items will be added. “The idea is to use our ingredients, the ingredients that everybody loves, and make different types of foods out of those,” says Boyd. All of the Rotary’s fresh, healthy bowls will remain on the menu, as well its housemade parmesan chips.
The Hilltop closure isn't the Rotary's first setback. A second location burned in the Marshall Fire, just two weeks after opening.
But Boyd is certain that the Rotary's regulars will stick with them. “We've had such great, loyal customers over the years, even with all the changes," he says. "We [look] forward to serving those people again, because they were what really made the Rotary what it is.”
But Boyd is certain that the Rotary's regulars will stick with them. “We've had such great, loyal customers over the years, even with all the changes," he says. "We [look] forward to serving those people again, because they were what really made the Rotary what it is.”
