Sean Huggard is going south of the border.
The owner of Blue Island Oyster Bar and Seafood will open the Mexican concept Ash and Agave at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center later this year or early next. Huggard signed a 10-year lease for the 4,800 square feet that was formerly home to California Pizza Kitchen, which shuttered this summer.
“We want to be fun and approachable and sexy and want to transform throughout the day for what people want to use it for,” Huggard said of the concept.
Along with the Blue Island restaurants in Cherry Creek and Lone Tree, Huggard’s restaurant group, Shucking Good Hospitality, also runs Oliver’s Italian in the Denver Tech Center.
“Coloradans and just about everyone else loves Mexican food and loves the vibe of coastal Mexico,” he added. “If you think about the Mexican Riviera, if you spend time in these places, what do you get out of all of it? You get fun, you get vibey, you get energy.”
Though the menu isn’t finalized yet, Huggard said it will be built around a custom-made woodfire charcoal grill. Customers can expect carne asada, a collection of steaks and fish like red snapper and dorado to be charred over the 900-degree coals — hence the “Ash” in the restaurant’s name.
Huggard added that the bar menu will be “one of the best” in the neighborhood, featuring a mix of vodka-, rum- and, of course, tequila-based cocktails. He also said that lesser-known Mexican spirits like raicilla will be featured, accounting for the “Agave” part of the moniker.
He wants the space to be something that’s good for the around-the-clock, diverse crowds the mall sees every day. While weekdays are filled with individual adult shoppers, Huggard wants something for the families that roam on weekends. He also hopes the spot is desirable to both tourists and Denverites alike.
“It’s like a choose your own adventure,” Huggard said of Ash and Agave’s offerings. “You want to pop in for a taco and marg at happy hour? Or do you want to come in and have a 12-ounce wood-fired ribeye and a glass of cab?”
He said he was approached about a year ago by Taubman Centers, the mall’s Michigan-based owner, to dream up a concept for the space. It will undergo a full demolition and build-out on the inside, Huggard said. He expects hammers to start swinging by the end of the month.
“We’re building something super sultry and vibey and warm, all those things you’d see in a high-end resort in Mexico,” he said. “We’re transforming the space, moving the bar into the center. We want people to throw a few back.”