Claim Jumper hits a dry hole, sold to Landry's

No sooner had we published our restaurant roll call for October, a roster of the places that had opened and closed that month, than updates started rolling in. For example, Colorado lost its only Claim Jumper, a link in a chain that got its start back in 1977, when the...

By Patricia Calhoun

November 3, 2010

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No sooner had we published our restaurant roll call for October, a roster of the places that had opened and closed that month, than updates started rolling in.

For example, Colorado lost its only Claim Jumper, a link in a chain that got its start back in 1977, when the store at 7407 Park Meadows Drive in Lone Tree closed on October 28.

That was the day that the assets of Claim Jumper Restaurants were put up for auction. And yesterday, a bankruptcy judge approved the sale of what remains of Claim Jumper Restaurants to Landry's, the Houston-based chain, in a deal that Bloomberg News reports will total about $76.6 million.

Landry's has been on a buying binge lately. In April, it swallowed up Oceanaire Inc., including the Oceanaire at 1400 Arapahoe Street, which is still in the dining swim. Earlier, Landry's had bought the Downtown Aquarium.

In metro Denver, Landry's also owns not just Landry's, but Simms Steakhouse, Chart House, Willie G's and several Saltgrass Steakhouse restaurants.

No word yet on whether Colorado's Claim Jumper will reopen.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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