The Future Fate of the Beloved Z Cuisine

The closure of eleven year old Z Cuisine prompted some desperation among loyal fans of the LoHi restaurant helmed by French chef Patrick DuPays. Tens of comments on Facebook and on Twitter lamented the shutter of the charming spot with some still holding out hope that the "temporary" closure sign on the door was in fact true. There is bad news and good news.

DuPays is in fact out and Z Cuisine as you knew it will not return. The good news is that a couple with a strong background in hospitality and in French cuisine purchased the business. Key West restaurateurs Jamille Cucci and Dominique Falkner are taking over the space located at 2239 West 30th Avenue and they are planning to build on what Z Cuisine already brought to the community.

If Jamille's last name sounds familiar that is because she is the younger sister of restaurateur Justin Cucci, the man behind the popular RootDown, Linger, Ophelia's, and most recently Vital Root. She is the owner of The Cafe, a decade-old vegetarian-leaning spot in Key West. Her fiancé, Dominique, is a French chef who owns and operates the nearly 20 years old Banana Café in the same town. Their plan for Z Cuisine is not yet set in stone, but their inclination is to keep the French vibe and cuisine and maybe even the name. They may change the space a bit too but it will not be a revolutionary renovation.

"I really loved Z Cuisine and what it represented in the neighborhood," Justin Cucci shared. "I can't think of better people to take it over than Jamille and Dominic who have been consistently coming to Denver for some ten years now and are very familiar with the city and the neighborhood. They have great respect for French cooking and a lot of experience in running restaurants and they have been wanting to move here for a while," he added.

The timeline of the return of the restaurant is not yet clear. It will be a few months.