Every Opening and Closing This Week: Lots of Action in the Scene

Closures are stacking up in the local dining scene. This week, we reported that Colorado Plus in Wheat Ridge will shutter at the end of May; another longtime brewery, Copper Kettle, will close on June 27. And we confirmed that Noodle Express, one of our favorite spots for Szechuan cuisine, will serve its last meal at the end of May.

Then there are the closures that have already hit, including Señor Burritos II in Lakewood. In 2024, the business said goodbye to its original outpost in Baker after a 34-year run; the family planned to keep a Lakewood outpost open and was working to add a Westminster location, which finally made its debut last May. Now, the Lakewood spot is gone, but the family is hoping to serve ts beloved recipes in Westminster for a long time to come.

Enzo’s on Colfax succumbed to the stresses of operating during the BRT construction a year after Bob Cherenzia attempted to reboot the space that was formerly Enzo’s End.

The city has also lost two longtime Chinese eateries. Jonny Hsu’s Imperial Chinese had been open for almost forty years when a new owner took over in 2023. Though Dan Dietrich had big plans to expand the brand with fast-casual offshoots, the doors of the original on South Broadway were locked this week, marking the end of an era. In Centennial, China Taipei shuttered after more than thirty years.

Other closures this week include Mighty Burger, which moved out of the Airstream trailer-turned-kitchen inside Denver Beer Company Arvada but has teased a Denver location to come. And Pesto Italiano has closed for now but plans to reopen on August 15, according to its Yelp page.

We reported four openings this week, including Good Luck Club, the Y2K-themed bar that had targeted a December opening before hitting permitting delays. It’s owned by Pouring With Heart, a hospitality company with a portfolio spanning California, Texas and Colorado, where it operates American Bonded in RiNo, Emerald Eye in Larimer Square, and Seven Grand downtown. “Good Luck Club is thrilled to be saying ‘Bye Bye Bye’ to any opening challenges and can’t wait for Denverites to welcome us ‘With Arms Wide Open’ starting this weekend,” the bar says.

Downtown has a Western-themed dancehall, music venue, kitchen, retail shop and bar with the debut of Broken Bow in the former Mile High Spirits space. There’s also a new reason to visit Avanti with the addition of Shuck Brothers, which is bringing oysters to the food hall’s rooftop. Leading the venture are a trio of former Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar shuckers, self-proclaimed “oyster nerds” Jesse Migchelbrink, Riley Campbell and Garrick Abt.

And over in Aurora, Bong Bong Hot Pot has made its debut, offering an all-you-can-eat experience for lunch and dinner.

In other openings and closings news:

• Catch up on the March restaurant roll call.
• Get the details on three new food halls coming to Westminster.

Here’s the complete list of restaurants and bars that opened and closed this week*:

Openings

Broken Bow, 2201 Lawrence Street
Bong Bong Hot Pot, 10630 East Iliff Avenue, Aurora
Good Luck Club, 1350 South Broadway
Shuck Brothers at Avanti, 3200 Pecos Street

Closures

China Taipei, 8100 South Quebec Street, Centennial
Enzo’s on Colfax, 3424 East Colfax Avenue
Imperial Chinese,  431 South Broadway
Mighty Burger, 5768 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada
Pesto Italiano, 3999 South Broadway, Englewood
Señor Burritos II, 2553 Kipling Street, Lakewood

*Or earlier and not previously reported.

Know of something we missed? Email cafe@westword.com.