Guess What's Coming to the Stanley Marketplace When It Opens Later This Year

When the Stanley Marketplace first announced intentions to convert a former aviation factory on the southeast edge of Stapleton into a 100,000 square-foot food and retail hall, the only thing we knew for sure was that restaurateur Kevin Taylor would be opening a restaurant and beer hall there — a hall within a hall, if you will. Since September 2014, a slow leak of information has rounded out a list of committed vendors, so that in September 2015, we were able to put together an initial roundup of ten food and beverage outlets headed for the Stanley. But since then, more have been announced — and one, GoodBird Kitchen, pulled out (but you can track down some excellent fried chicken at the Longmont GoodBird). So just how many eateries can you pack into one finite space, and what else will be at the Stanley to draw customers? 

Part of the difficulty in envisioning the finished building is comprehending exactly how vast a 100,000 square-foot space  really is. Since a standard American license plate is twelve inches by six inches, you need only picture 200,000 license plates laid out in a grid to get the picture. Okay, maybe that's not helpful, so here's what we do know: So far, a total of thirty vendors have committed. Although there's no official government-sanctioned definition to differentiate a marketplace from a straight-up mall, a quick comparison shows that the Stanley will be only about a tenth of the total size of the Cherry Creek Shopping Center (at 1.1 million square feet), which houses some 160 shops and restaurants.

The folks at the Stanley Marketplace recently provided a complete list of retail shops and food and drink establishments that have committed thus far. Some of the names are familiar Denver favorites, giving Stapleton and northern Aurora residents something to buzz about. But there are plenty of new names on the list, too, and at first glance, it's not entirely clear which will serve food and which will provide some other product or service.

Here's the list of tenants, in alphabetical order; see if you can guess which ones are food- and/or beverage-related. Looking for a prize? How about just the smug satisfaction of knowing you're the best Googler out there (and recognizing that an ampersand isn't necessarily a dead giveaway). Click through to the next page for the answers.

Casita
Clementine’s
Comida
Denver Biscuit Co.
Endorphin
Etai’s Juice Bar
From the Hip Photo
Goose & the Goat
Hope Tank 
Hot Mamas Exercise
Izzio Artisan Bakery
Kindess Yoga
Kismet
L Style Bar
Logan House Coffee
Maria Empanada 
Miette et Chocolat
Mondo Market
Natural Balance
Poppy + Pine
Rolling Smoke BBQ
Rosenberg’s
Sazza
Stanley Beer Hall
Stapleton Dental
Sweet Cow
Symmetry Massage
Tootsies the Nail Shoppe
Trunk Nouveau
Velvet Wolf

And the answers are....
Here are the answers, separated so that the fifteen actual food and/or beverage vendors are at the top of the list. You probably also want to know when the Stanley Marketplace will open. The latest estimate is August this year; after all, it takes time to lay out all those license plates.

Food and Drink

Casita: A new craft brewery specializing in Oaxacan flavors and ambience. 

Comida: This will be the third location of the popular upscale taqueria, after the Longmont and Brighton Boulevard (inside the Source) spots.

Denver Biscuit Co.: This will be the fourth biscuitry from the group that also runs Atomic Cowboy and Fat Sully's Pizza shops on East Colfax Avenue, South Broadway and Tennyson Street.

Etai’s Juice Bar: A pared-down, juice-only version of the multi-location Etai's Bakery Cafe concept from the Udi Baron Group.

Izzio Artisan Bakery: Another Udi Baron Group concept. This is the second full-scale Izzio Bakery from the group, after the Louisville original.

Logan House Coffee: The first brick-and-mortar location for a local coffee roaster that sells coffee online in recycled wine bottles.

Maria Empanada: The second location for the charming Argentinian cafe on South Broadway. 

Miette et Chocolat: A French patisserie and chocolate shop whose co-owner, Dave Lewis, recently coated an enormous plaster sculpture of Peyton Manning in chocolate. Gonzalo Jiménez is his confectionery cohort.

Mondo Market: The gourmet market in the Source gets a second spot in the Stanley.

Rolling Smoke BBQ: The mobile barbecue kitchen will put down roots at the Stanley — less rolling and more smoking.

Rosenberg’s Deli: This will be the second location for the Five Points bagel bakery and deli.

Sazza: A second location for the Neapolitan pizzeria that has served Greenwood Village for nearly a decade.

Stanley Beer Hall: Kevin Taylor's foray into casual, approachable dining.

Sweet Cow: More ice cream from the creamery with five current Front Range shops.

Other:
Clementine’s (beauty salon)
Endorphin (fitness)
From the Hip Photo (photography studio)
Goose & the Goat (shoe shop — bet we got you on this one)
Hope Tank (a gift shop with a charitable mission)
Hot Mamas Exercise (fitness)
Kindess Yoga (fitness)
Kismet (women's clothing)
L Style Bar (beauty salon)
Natural Balance (wellness)
Poppy + Pine (florist — but you might have been fooled)
Stapleton Dental (dentist)
Symmetry Massage (wellness)
Tootsies the Nail Shoppe (manicures)
Trunk Nouveau (jewelry and gifts)
Velvet Wolf (women's clothing — but we so wanted this to be a hip new eatery)