There’s a feeding frenzy for small restaurant spaces in Denver, but that isn’t stopping Jimmy “Snarf” Seidel.
The proprietor of Denver-based has built his business by plunking sandwich shops in quirky locations — from a 600-square-foot “shack” in Boulder to a dilapidated former in Denver’s Berkeley neighborhood.
The locations fit the bill — and the feel — of the funky sandwich chain, with its shops awash in bright colors and mosaics courtesy of artist . The heart of his business is a menu of toasted sandwiches that has been amended only a few times since the first Snarf’s opened in Boulder in 1996.
“The menu’s been stagnant, but I don’t think itap a bad thing,” Seidel said on a recent weekday while sitting at the Snarf’s in the Googie-style former Big Top at West 38th Avenue and Yates Street.
“The economics are very good,” he said. “We just grow, grow, grow internally.”
Seidel declined to disclose revenue figures for the privately held company, other than to say that same-store sales are growing in the double-digits annually.
Snarf’s will mark its 20th year in business later this month, featuring promotions such as a Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory-style “golden ticket” of free sandwiches for a year and the unveiling of a .
The anniversary arrives as Snarf’s continues work to ensure its ability to “grow, grow, grow” in the 20 years to come.
The Snarf’s story began June 25, 1996, in a 600-square-foot “Shack” a few blocks east of the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder. Twenty years later, there are 25 stores in four states. Locations in Texas, Illinois and Missouri were opened by Seidel’s family and friends.
Seidel plans to open four to eight restaurants per year, filling in places along Colorado’s Front Range and in states such as Texas. He plans to sprinkle in a few Snarfburger locations — the company’s burger concept — including one near a Snarf’s off East 11th Avenue and Ogden Street in Capitol Hill. Snarf’s also is in discussions for a new location along South Broadway in Denver, he said.
Snarf’s growth has not come without stumbling blocks. A Snarfburger that opened in a former Sonic Drive-In in Lafayette quickly closed. And Snarf’s came under fire for abruptly shuttering one of its Chicago restaurants, putting employees out of work just days before Christmas.
Seidel’s plans don’t include more joint ventures with friends and family. Growth will be organic and calculated, he said, adding that he is not seeking an investment partner.
If Snarf’s achieves its grand vision of 300 stores in 30 states by the time the 40th anniversary rolls around, the sandwich chain would be heading down a well-worn path, said , a Denver-based restaurant consultant.
Metro Denver has been the launching pad for national fast-casual brands such as Chipotle Mexican Grill, Qdoba Mexican Eats and Smashburger. “Things that work here tend to work in other towns,” he said. “That would give some comfort to someone who has started in Colorado.”
Some of those expansions also include cautionary tales, he said, noting Quiznos, the Denver-based toasted sub sandwich chain that has shuttered hundreds of locations and just named its in six years.
And , itap hard to talk out loud about the burrito chain’s success, but the Denver company proves that a restaurant company can have success with a relatively static menu, he said.
“There’s a lot to be said about sticking to what is working,” he said.
