Zengo and La Guerra Shutter in Riverfront Park

Fourteen year old Zengo and its sister concept La Guera have closed their doors at 16th and Little Raven streets, Westword reported. Chef and restaurateur Richard Sandoval, who made his debut in Denver in 2001 with Tamayo in Larimer Square, still retains that restaurant and several others in Colorado, but the blow of closing Zengo is loud. Many Denver chefs spent time in that kitchen including Justin Brunson and Clint Wangsness. At the time that it launched and for years, Zengo was a hot spot of fusion food and see-and-be-seen in the Mile High City.

In the fall, Zengo closed temporarily for a major remodel. The adjacent space, La Guera, had trouble taking off and changed its name and look and concept several times over the last few years. La Biblioteca and Al Lado were two of those concepts.

Servers and staff at the two restaurants found out of the shutter through a company email. The Facebook pages for the businesses are gone and the phones go unanswered.