Acclaimed Chef Alon Shaya and co-founder Emily Shaya of Pomegranate Hospitality are bringing a fresh new flavor to Denver’s culinary scene with the debut of Ceci! Italian Lounge. The intimate new concept will be set inside the second-floor lobby of The Source Hotel, at 3330 Brighton Blvd, according to Denver Post.
Ceci! gets its name from the couple’s dog; it’s the Italian word for chickpeas or garbanzo beans, a press release shares. The venue, which will open sometime in mid-2025, will serve a curated selection of small bites and a beverage program anchored in Italian spirits and liqueurs as well as wines.
Alon and Emily founded the hospitality firm in 2017. Its projects have been deemed some of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants, recognized by the Michelin Guide, and Alon is a two-time James Beard Foundation Award winner, his bio states. The couple was also recently honored by Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business as the 2025 Distinguished Entrepreneurs of the Year.
The upcoming opening marks a continued expansion for Pomegranate Hospitality, which is already known in the area for its restaurant Safta. It also owns Saba, Chandelier Bar, and Miss River in New Orleans, as well as SILAN in the Bahamas. It was also announced that the group will open Safta’s Table in Louisiana later this year.
“Colorado has always been one of our personal happy places. We love spending time there, fishing, skating, and we have a lot of friends in Denver and Boulder,” Alon told What Now Denver.”
“We opened Safta back in 2018 and have really continued to fall in love with the Denver community. Safta has been incredibly supported here, and we wanted to grow our company and continue doing what we love for the area,” he continued.
