The owners of Super Mega Bien are closing their celebrated Latin restaurant next month in the midst of an ongoing lawsuit brought by the previous owners, saying it is no longer financially viable to operate.
Founded in 2017 on the ground floor of the Ramble Hotel, 1260 25th St., Denver, Super Mega Bien is known for its “dim sum” service in which servers roam the floor with roller carts full of Latin American dishes, in a similar style to Chinese dim sum restaurants. In late 2022, Victor Mena and his wife, Jenn Mena-Wenstrom, bought the restaurant from its founders: prolific restaurateur Dana Rodriguez, Anthony Maciag and Tabatha Knop. Victor had worked there since its opening as the chef de cuisine, Mena-Wenstrom said.
But the rising costs of labor took a toll on its finances, she told The Denver Post on Monday. So did an lawsuit, filed last December by Maciag and Knop, alleging that Mena-Wenstrom, who is listed as owner, still owes each of them $49,000 plus interest as part of the original $400,000 purchase price, as reported by BusinessDen. Victor Mena isn’t named in the suit.
“All of the extenuating circumstances have brought us to a point where it’s not joyful, and it’s not fun, and it’s not healthy,” to run the restaurant, Mena-Wenstrom said.
An attorney representing Maciag and Knop in the proceedings, Jeffrey Lippa, declined to comment when reached Monday.
The restaurant’s last day of business is Saturday, March 14, coinciding with the end of Denver Restaurant Week. For the promotional campaign, Super Mega Bien is running a $45 special with two dishes from the cart and a dessert.
Rodriguez, who leads Carne and two Work & Class locations, is not mentioned in the suit, according to BusinessDen.
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