Boulder Veteran Gondolier Closing After 50 Years

Gondolier, Boulder's oldest family-owned restaurant has announced it will close its doors on Pearl Street on September 22. Owner Nelson Kugel says the restaurant's closing is due to the end of their lease coinciding with a planned remodel of the building. "We decided that now was a good time to make a change," says Kugel in a press release.

Kugel's father, Gary Kugel first opened Gondolier in 1960 on Broadway and Marine Street in Boulder but moved the restaurant to a bigger location on 28th and Valmont in 1980 due to its popularity. Two years later, Gondolier introduced $1.99 "all-you-can-eat" spaghetti specials, which transformed the restaurant into a haven for families and CU students on Tuesday's and Wednesdays.

In 2001, Nelson Kugel—who graduated with honors from the Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon—took over Gondolier and moved the homestyle Italian eatery to Pearl Street. Despite its hipper location, Gondolier continued to churn out its traditional crave-worthy spaghetti, establishing itself as a staple within the Boulder community.

To honor its history in Boulder, Gondolier will offer its original 1960s menu of affordable homemade sauces, pasta, and pizza for its last month in business.

"We want to say thank you to our friends for their support over the past 52 years," says Kugel. " We hope that we will be able to serve them and their families in the near future."

—Sarah Haughey

· Gondolier [Official Site]
· Boulder's Gondolier to close Sept. 22 as owner hunts for smaller location [The Daily Camera]