Denver fried chicken restaurant sued by landlord after closing

RiNo Fried Chicken Spot Yardbird Fails to Pay Rent, Shuts Down

The popular RiNo fried chicken restaurant Yardbird closed its doors in October after failing to pay rent, according to the landlord, Lagniappe Capital Partners. The Lot Twenty Eight building at 2743 Blake St. was purchased by Lagniappe in 2021.

In a lawsuit filed against Yardbird, Lagniappe stated that the restaurant did not pay rent for the month of August. The exact amount owed was not specified in the lawsuit, but Yardbird’s lease, obtained through a public records request, revealed that the monthly base rent for the 14,000 square foot space started at $52,000 in the first year, amounting to nearly $45 per square foot annually.

Yardbird signed a 10-year lease with two five-year options in December 2021. As part of the agreement, Lagniappe provided a $2 million construction allowance and allowed Yardbird to delay rent payments until the spot opened in August 2023.

Following the closure of Yardbird on October 17, the restaurant surrendered its space to Lagniappe as per the lawsuit. Yardbird, owned by Miami-based 50 Eggs Hospitality Group, was launched in other cities as well. 50 Eggs CEO John Kunkel mentioned that he sold his stake in Yardbird over a year ago and was not involved in the decision to close the RiNo location.

Lot Twenty Eight, where Yardbird was located, also houses a Rivian dealer and Puttshack, a mini-golf restaurant and bar. McGuire and his legal team declined to comment on the lawsuit, and Yardbird’s parent company did not respond to interview requests from BusinessDen.

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