Five months after a whirlwind opening in LoHi, Alma Fonda Fina is getting a sister in Boulder.
Chef and owner Johnny Curiel announced on Instagram this week that he will be taking over Masas, a now-closed Oaxacan restaurant at 909 Walnut St. in downtown Boulder, across the street from St. Julien Hotel. He plans to open a second “fonda fina-” style restaurant this summer.
“It feels like kismet to open a new restaurant in Boulder,” Curiel wrote. “I fell in love with the Boulder community during my time at Centro Mexican Kitchen. While the final menu and name are still in development, our mission remains to share authentic Mexican food and culture with Colorado communities.”
Curiel opened Alma Fonda Fina with his wife, Kasie, in LoHi last December, debuting upscale Mexican dishes inspired by his upbringing in Guadalajara, Mexico, where his parents still own a “fonda, a mom-and-pop place, where blue-collar workers go for lunch,” as Curiel previously described it.
But shortly after, the couple found themselves in a legal battle with their previous employer, Lotus Concepts, owned by local restaurateur Francois Safieddine. Kasie was the former executive general manager of My Neighbor Felix — a Lotus concept — and Curiel was the former culinary director for the restaurant group. In March, Lotus sued Kasie and Alma Fonda Fina as a result of a non-compete clause. Lotus also requested a temporary restraining order, which, if approved, would have shut down Alma Fonda Fina for a period of time.
The dispute struck a chord with local chefs, but in the end, the two restaurants were able to resolve it out of court.
Curiel’s new restaurant announcement explicitly states that Kasie will not be a part of this Boulder project, “as she will continue her full-time role at Alma Fonda Fina.”
The Masas space in downtown Boulder is a block away, from My Neighbor Felix’s Boulder location, which opened in 2021.
