Why Are Colorado's Historic La Loma Restaurants Changing Names? the Real Story Behind the Brand Shakeup
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
To understand why the new name makes sense, you have to rewind to 1973. Long before corporate leases and sprawling downtown dining rooms, the restaurant was a tiny, nine-table storefront on 26th Avenue in Northwest Denver. The entire enterprise rested on the home cooking of Grandmother Savina Mendoza, who hand-rolled every tortilla and simmered small batches of green chile using heritage recipes passed down from her family's roots in Northern Mexico and Southern Colorado.
When Savina's son, Sonny Brada, partnered with his mother to expand the enterprise, they relocated the restaurant in 1981 to a hillside cluster of Victorian brick houses overlooking downtown Denver on 26th Avenue. That Jefferson Park perch became legendary. For thirty-five years, governors, visiting athletes, and multi-generational Denver families packed the cozy rooms, drawn by the smell of roasting chiles and pork fat wafting down Speer Boulevard.
Adopting the name Savina's Mexican Kitchen directly realigns the physical dining rooms with the woman whose palate dictated the entire enterprise. As reported by 5280 Magazine, the culinary identity has always belonged to Mendoza; the previous moniker was merely the commercial banner hung above the entryway.
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
