Highland Tavern will begin long-awaited expansion this summer

Highland Tavern fans and tater tot devotees may have noticed a recent sign in the popular LoHi joint letting patrons know that the watering hole and restaurant will soon expand, so come late summer the space will be a little roomier. See also: Highland Tavern is LoHi and mighty...

By Kayla Hollenbaugh

June 24, 2014

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Highland Tavern fans and tater tot devotees may have noticed a recent sign in the popular LoHi joint letting patrons know that the watering hole and restaurant will soon expand, so come late summer the space will be a little roomier.

Signaling the accelerating gentrification of the Highland neighborhood -- including the addition of hipster caffeine mecca Black Eye Coffee next door -- the eight-year-old Tavern will expose more seating space in August, meaning it just might be easier to grab a table at the popular neighborhood spot.

Notable for its almost 100 percent scratch-made menu of hearty burgers, meat-laden sandwiches and those legendary homemade tater tots, Highland Tavern has always had a solid base of local patrons and in-the-know Denver residents, but a 2013 appearance on Guy Fieri's Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives sparked a new awareness and a whole new level of popularity for the Highland Tavern. With the restaurant racing to keep up with the new business, the expansion news shouldn't come as a surprise.

Co-owner and founder Brian Sommatino says that he's expanding into a building east of the original space -- real estate he's always owned but until now has not used. According to Sommatino, the move is long overdue. "We've wanted to [expand] since we first opened, and we just finally got the funds to do it," he says.

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