Vegan Eatery in Whittier Gets Shut Down

Handy Diner took over the space previously occupied by D Line at on the door at 2958 Downing Street in January of last year; now the vegan eatery is no longer operating, Westword reported. The owner, chef Teri Font, did not change much from the previous tenant besides slapping some reflective mailbox letters with the name of her venture and, of course, bringing in her own cooking. She may not have gotten the required permits but she did bring something else to the quickly gentrifying Whittier neighborhood: affordable, well-crafted vegan dishes in a fuss-free environment.

Font’s business was closed by the Department of Environmental Health last week critical violations that included not having a hand sink for employees and not having a dedicated food-prep sink for washing produce. This was just the tip of the iceberg. Handy Diner was also operating without the approval of the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses. The city has been blissfully unaware of the existence of the eatery until a random visit at the shop next door tipped the inspectors up.

It does not appear that Handy Diner will reopen.