Construction Watch: Award-Winning Burgers and Gyros With a Z Coming Soon

You may remember Provisions Chophaus & Drinkery, the downtown restaurant that was open for only eleven days last summer. The space it so briefly occupied — at 1550 Blake Street — seems to carry a curse, having sat vacant for nearly a year in a booming restaurant market after seeing T|ACO and 8 Rivers Cafe come and go before Provisions gave it a try. But suburban burger chain Crave Real Burgers, with popular locations in Castle Rock and Highlands Ranch and with a win in last summer's Denver Burger Battle, isn't afraid of a curse. The company just posted a liquor-license hearing notice in the window of the space and will go before the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses on July 2. If all goes well, the burger champ, owned by Castle Rock residents Jeff and Jeryn Richard, will soon be bringing its towering creations to LoDo.

On the other side of downtown, Gyroz has been slowly taking shape in what was once a Pizza Hut at the corner of Colfax Avenue and Emerson Street. This will be the second metro Gyroz; the original is on East Iliff Avenue in Aurora. According to general manager Yanni Koustenis, Gyroz should open this summer — but because of construction uncertainties it could be another several weeks.

When Gyroz does open, its hours will be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, and it will stay open later on weekends to take advantage of the late-night Colfax crowd. The quick-service Greek eatery will feature a drive-through window and gyros sandwiches stuffed with fries — just like it's done in Greece, according to the Gyroz website. 

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