It brought 40 cooks through its kitchen and spawned businesses for at least six of its alumni. Now, the Comal Heritage Food Incubator in Denver’s River North Art District is preparing to send off its final class of students.
The training kitchen and restaurant on 1950 35th St. will serve one last lunch Friday, Feb. 14, according to a statement that Focus Points Family Resource Center released on Tuesday.
“While the decision to close Comal was not easy, we are incredibly proud of the transformative impact Comal has had on so many lives,” Focus Points executive director Jules Kelty said in a statement. “Its legacy of empowering entrepreneurs and celebrating cultural diversity will leave a lasting impact on everyone it has touched.”
The northeast Denver nonprofit launched the incubator in 2016, initially for a group of Mexican women living in the area to develop their business ideas and eventually welcomed women from Africa, Central America and the Middle East.
Its leadership is now looking for another operator to continue running the space under a similar purpose.
Comal — the name refers to a clay griddle used in Mexico and Central America — offered two- to three-year-long stints in its kitchen for immigrant and refugee women seeking to sell their own food. They studied in a classroom once a week and tested their recipes with lunchtime customers. The training model was referred to by the incubator as “earn while you learn,” with each student getting a stipend while they worked at the restaurant, according to the organization.
Students spent much of 2020 preparing meals as part of the Denver Metro Emergency Food Network. The New York Times included Comal in its list of 50 notable American restaurants the following year.
In 2023, Focus Points moved Comal from its original kitchen in the TAXi development across the South Platte River and into the RiNo Art Park. Silvia’s Kitchen, Jebena Ethiopian Coffee & Gursha Catering and Prieto’s Catering all started out as concepts at Comal, according to the nonprofit.
In its statement, the nonprofit said Comal’s closure was indicative of the issues restaurant owners have faced in recent years. The number of restaurants in Denver has fallen by 22% since 2021, according to data shared by the city.