The Snooze: An A.M. Eatery in Denver’s Union Station. Kristen Wile/Unpretentious Palate

The Charlotte Business Journal reported recently that Snooze, a rapidly expanding Colorado breakfast joint, will open a location in Plaza Midwood next year in the One305 Central apartment complex on Central Avenue. Snooze is popular for its seven-day-a-week, morning and lunch-hour breakfast menu, and craft cocktails — so popular, in fact, that it’s spread to Texas, Arizona, and California since opening its first location in Denver back in 2006.

To learn more about Snooze (which calls itself an a.m. eatery) and get predictions on how successful it will be here, we called up chef Aaron Rivera, whom you might recall as owner of Tapas 51 in Fort Mill. Rivera relocated to Colorado, home of Snooze, last year, then recently moved back home to Phoenix, where there are also Snoozes.

“I’m a frequent flier,” Rivera jokes about Snooze. “I like it. I’m a big breakfast guy.”

He often goes with his brother and family, and points to the variety and the quality as reasons why he enjoys it.

“Is it a corporate establishment now?” he says. “Yeah, you could say that all day long. But it’s great service, the quality of ingredients are on point, portions are good, the price is right in line with everything and the training that they do with staff is incredible.”

He orders a breakfast pot pie (uh, yum) and a bloody mary with pickled vegetables in it. Rivera says the servers all know his and his family’s names, and the place is comfortable. He believes with the success they’ve had so quickly, if they’re coming to Plaza Midwood, they know they’ll do well there. That’s not to say that everyone will enjoy Snooze as much as he does.

“Are you gonna have your hardcore local foodies dismiss it before even trying it? Yeah, I think so,” he says. “I think people are going to look at it as a corporate location and not even want to give it a fair try because they want to stay uber local, because that’s what Charlotte to me was. That being said, Charlotte is also growing into more businesses and cookie cutter apartments, and those people are going to frequent the Snoozes and enjoy it.”

The massive apartment complex the restaurant is going to be in will surely supply a steady stream of customers. Rivera says the closest comparison he can think of to something in Charlotte is Tupelo Honey, but without such an expansive menu. Snooze is just breakfast. Other than Greg Collier’s The Yolk down in Rock Hill, there isn’t much in the way of a solid, all-day breakfast during the week.

He also adds that Snooze seems like a great company to work for; the servers he knows at the restaurant are happy to have jobs there. That’s another reason why he eats there so often.

“They treat them well, benefits, they’re very earth conscious,” Rivera says of Snooze corporate. “All of those things resonate for something I would like to support. Not only the servers themselves, but [the company is] earth-friendly, they source sustainably.”

Despite the fact that Snooze is a large chain now, with nearly 30 locations and more coming soon, Rivera sees economic possibilities for local producers.

“I also see it as a good opportunity for local enterprises to try and get in there,” he says. “Maybe it’s a local roaster that’s like, ‘Hey, let me do my coffee for you.’ Why not?”

We’ll keep you posted on Snooze as it gets closer to opening next year. —Kristen Wile