Malbec, a new full-service Argentine restaurant from the team behind nearby Piripi, could open its doors in Erie as soon as 2028.
The town’s Urban Renewal Authority board approved an agreement to redevelop a 13,000-square-foot property at the corner of Briggs Street and Maxwell Avenue, with construction expected to begin sometime next year.
About 5,000 square feet is planned to become Malbec, with the remaining retail space open to an existing Erie business “seeking to expand and relocate to a larger venue,” a town announcement said.
Hugo and Victoria Meyer moved to Erie in April 2019 and opened Piripi, a Latin and Mediterranean food spot at 615 Briggs St., in 2020.
Hugo was born in Córdoba, Argentina, and has owned several restaurants in Spain and Belize.
Argentinian restaurants are rare in Colorado, according to Hugo, and he’s looking forward to bringing his home country’s wine, style of pizza, empanadas and grilled meat to the Erie dining scene.
“With the Argentinian concept, it is my roots. It’s what I want to do,” Hugo said. “We’re going to be showcasing all the Argentinian flavors.”
The new spot would sit on Briggs Street — Erie’s main drag — positioning it to serve as a “prominent southern entrance to Downtown Erie,” the town’s announcement added.
The Erie Urban Renewal Authority purchased the property, which currently sits vacant, for $585,000 in 2024 to “facilitate its future redevelopment.”
In February, the town issued a new request for qualifications for the site, and the authority selected the Meyers as the preferred developer in April following “a competitive review process.”
“We feel very confident. I know that there are a lot of problems restaurants are going through with the economy,” Hugo said. “But Erie is a booming town.”
Construction is expected to begin in 2027.