The restaurant: Sonny’s Mediterranean, 2622 W. 32nd Ave. #100, Denver
About: This fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant in LoHi has been in the works for the past two years. Owner David Schloss, a former Safta chef, and his fiancee Lena Young signed a lease for the 18-seat restaurant in May 2021 and have been building out the space in the meantime.
“We’ve had a ‘Coming Soon’ sign in the window for over a year that’s helped us build some hype,” Young said. “We’ve already had a lot of repeat business with people in the neighborhood, which is exactly what we were hoping for.”
What’s on the menu: Sonny’s, named after Schloss’ dog, a great Pyrenees, focuses on falafel and rotisserie chicken. There are three styles of pita sandwiches, like the indulgent harissa aioli, fries, feta, Israeli salad and lettuce sandwich, and four signature salads, including a classic Greek or Fattoush salad, with your choice of protein.
The restaurant also serves half ($26) and whole ($42) rotisserie chickens for large groups. For a snack, try one of the four styles of hummus or mezze, like orzo salad and baba ganoush. Sip on a menu of organic wines, draft beers from Zuni Street Brewing, or signature cocktails, such as the “Sonny Sip of Sunshine” with watermelon, cucumber, serrano, lemon, lime, mint and tequila or the Middle State espresso martini, made with cold brew from MiddleState Coffee, located next door.
Who’s cooking: Schloss is the executive chef. He had always had a passion for cooking and spent three years after college helping a friend launch a New Orleans restaurant chain focusing on rotisserie chicken. He then worked at Safta for a few years before deciding to open his own restaurant, which is partially inspired by trips to Greece with a friend in high school.
Opened: June 28, 2023. Hours: Wednesday – Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.