Recently, the Gazette brought word of three new chain restaurants opening at the Promenade Shops at Briargate. Opening dates are spread between next March and May, so things may change in the interim. Here’s what to expect from each:
Modmarket is a Denver-based company that a June Denver Business Journal story said is opening its 16th store this year, across Colorado and Texas, with plans for potentially hundreds more in markets like Phoenix, Minneapolis, Chicago and Austin.
35-year-old owner Anthony Pigliacampo, a graduate of the University of Colorado-Boulder, says, “The goal is to build as large and successful a company as we can. People eating out more help our business plan — I want to be the kitchen replacement.”
Summer offerings included a BLTA with nitrate-free bacon; a pizza featuring Denver’s Polidori Sausage; and a side dish of bulgur wheat, goji berries, apples, walnuts and lemon-maple dressing. An autumn menu announced a few weeks ago includes maple dijon pulled-chicken thighs sourced from Red Bird Farms; butternut ranch salad with spiced pecans; and bacon corn pizza with roasted-garlic crème fraiche.
Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar is also a Colorado company, sort of. Started in Charlotte, it was acquired by Golden-based Good Times Restaurants Inc. in April for $21 million and the plan is to roll out at least “four of the upscale, fast casual burger restaurants this year,” reported the Denver Post in April. There are currently 14 locations, with eight to 10 more expected.
Good Times describes Bad Daddy’s as “a chef driven menu of gourmet signature burgers, chopped salads, appetizers and sandwiches with a full bar and a focus on a selection of craft microbrew beers in a high energy atmosphere that appeals to a broad consumer base.” (Now take a breath.)
The company irked locals when it closed its North Academy Boulevard restaurant in 2012, with CEO Boyd Hoback calling Colorado Springs a more “value oriented” market and that it had no plans to return.
Pie Five Pizza Co. is a Dallas-based chain owned by RAVE Restaurant Group Inc. — an April story on investorplace.com was titled “Why You Should Crave RAVE Stock” — with recent openings in Arizona, Maryland, Minnesota, Florida and Kansas joining some 300 other locations.
The name’s apparently a take on “high five,” with the schtick being pies built from 27 meat and vegetable toppings, including gluten-free dough, ready in about five minutes. Prices generally range between $5 and $7. Here’s how the company describes it:
“At Pie Five, guests can choose from more than a million combinations of farm fresh ingredients, artisan sauces and handcrafted crust variety,” reads a recent release touting 10 new locations in San Antonio alone. “Pies bake in just 140 seconds in a custom-designed, state-of-the-art oven. By the time the guest arrives at the register, their hot, bubbly, pizza perfection is ready. Additionally, they can add one of Pie Five’s freshly-tossed hand-made salads served in a baked pizza dough bowl or a decadent home-baked brownie or cookie pie to their meal.”
