A Mexican breakfast spot known for drawing crowds in East Colfax is expanding into Capitol Hill, taking over the corner space long occupied by Syrup. Santos Café & Grill plans to open at 410 E. 7th Ave. in November, filling the gap left by Syrup's planned closure on October 11.
The move marks José Santos Jr.'s second full-service restaurant, according to BusinessDen, which reported the opening. Santos Café & Grill will replace Syrup at the Capitol Hill address, the outlet reports, with the new restaurant specializing in Mexican breakfast fare much like its East Colfax counterpart.
Syrup has held down the corner of 7th and Logan since 2022, but a sign on its door indicates the location will close on October 11, per the same BusinessDen report. That closure comes just months after Syrup shuttered its original Cherry Creek location at 300 Josephine St. on August 16, when its lease ended, according to the Denver Post.
A Family Business Rooted in East Colfax
Santos has operated in Denver's East Colfax neighborhood since 2020, and José Santos Jr. co-owns that restaurant with his father and serves as its main operator alongside his sister, Ana Santos. The weekend crowds there are no small thing — Santos told BusinessDen the restaurant usually has a 45-minute to one-hour wait.
José Santos Jr.'s connection to the food business goes back to childhood, when he began serving burritos out of a cart along the 16th Street Mall after his family immigrated from Mexico, the article notes. Santos Café & Grill describes itself on its website as a family-run kitchen rooted in traditions that have grown since 2005.
Syrup's Shrinking Footprint
Syrup's retreat from Capitol Hill follows a broader contraction for the breakfast chain. Before the Cherry Creek closure, the mini-chain had locations in downtown Denver, City Park, Capitol Hill and Edgewater, and the Denver Post reports that closure brought the company down to four locations. Syrup's late founder, Tim Doherty, opened the original Cherry Creek spot in 2010, and the restaurant employed 17 people when the closure was announced, with the company offering those workers relocation to its other locations.
With Syrup's Capitol Hill chapter set to close on October 11, the corner at 7th and Logan is set for a new identity built around the same recipe that has kept customers lining up in East Colfax: Mexican breakfast, family ownership, and a wait worth making.
