This popular Denver restaurant has had a rough year, to say the least.
The Hornet restaurant, located on 1st and Broadway, assures passersby that it is not a drive-through. The happening restaurant has been having some very bad luck; a car drove into the storefront for the THIRD time at the beginning of the month.
Fortunately, no one was hurt, but it caused damage to the tune of several thousand dollars. Owner Sean Workman said the car went "right between the light post and the planter and proceeded right through our storefront."
Ready for the really shocking part? This was the second blow to the Hornet within just two weeks, and the third this year. After getting a call about the incident, Workman said, "I thought they were joking."
And while everyone was safe, bartender Kevin Clyde walked away from the area just moments before the car hit. Surveillance footage shows a BMW slamming into the Hornet at 2:16 a.m. “I was standing where the car hit and as I walked away, the car entered the building,” said Clyde. “Sounded like a complete explosion. Something that will stick with you the rest of your life.”
Afterward, three females and the male driver fled the scene. Clyde said the driver seemed intoxicated. Another business owner stopped the driver a few doors down, and he was arrested.
Though concrete barriers were installed after the first two crashes, these protections somehow didn't stop the car from causing $60,000 worth of damage. And the incident has impacted the staff and their wages as well. Workman encourages people to come in and order, noting that the business lost 40 percent of its seats, which will result in a loss of income for the staff.
And Workman has another announcement: "Slow down on Broadway." In an area that gets heavy pedestrian traffic, it's important to drive carefully.
The Hornet appears to be as busy as ever, and happy hour drink specials are just as enticing as they were before the accident. So make sure to support the local restaurant and spread the word: We all wish we could order lettuce wraps without leaving our cars, but The Hornet is definitely #notadrivethru.
