A Not-So-Secret Speakeasy Is Now Open in Lakewood

It’s been a while since a speakeasy opened on West Colfax. Now over a century removed from the early days of Prohibition, there’s a new clip-joint of the rather literal kind. A barber shop, that is, and like the speakeasy days upon which it draws inspiration, also a place for like-minded folks to gather.

Or such is the plan of Denver artist and entrepreneur Meredith “Phee” Avery, who has just opened her 1920s-inspired speakeasy barber shop called The Urban Hideout in Lakewood. The shop carries with it the slogan “Barbershop. Blues. Community.” and follows through on all three, offering up a black-leather-and-chrome experience replete with music and an old-fashioned commitment to culture, community and service. And now Avery is relying on that selfsame community to help keep the shop’s dreams alive. Because there have been challenges, and much like the rum-running days of yore, the government is sort of the problem — specifically, the Small Business Administration and its record-long closure during the shutdown.

“I’d started the loan paperwork back in July,” Avery says. “The SBA guy I was talking to was assuring me that everything was on track, that I was already approved and we’d be able to get some of that startup funding by October. So we could open in November, no problem, and be ready for the holidays. So I went ahead and signed the lease, and now we’re locked in…and then the government shut down.”

Even though the record-setting shutdown has since ended, most agencies have been slow in recovering, having been thrown off their usual operating schedules. In the meantime, Avery has had to dip into her own financial reserves to keep the shop on track — a funding source that’s been limited enough that she’s not been able to advertise or even fully set up in some ways she’d planned. So far, there’s been no word from the SBA as to when Avery and The Urban Hideout will receive the monies promised them.

Still, The Urban Hideout is open and setting appointments, even while finishing out some of the decor and still hiring other stylists to fill out the chairs. Avery and staff are offering a discount rate for first appointments, followed by a list of offerings for men ranging from fades to classic styles, beard trims and shaves, dreadlock servicing and more. Even charcoal facemasks, waxing and deep scalp cleansing are available. “Our goal is to keep the city sharp,” Avery laughs.

But the community aspect of The Urban Hideout isn’t limited to just solid haircuts — it’s utilizing its space in new and creative ways. For example, Avery is hosting free writer-gathering events she’s calling “Between the Lines” on the first Thursday of every month. It’s designed to be a “cozy fiction writers’ circle” where writers can “share stories, sip drinks and connect in a speakeasy-style creative space,” according to the Eventbrite invitation.

The writing isn’t incidental to Avery’s life and work; it’s something she’s pursued all along. She’s been cutting hair for about fifteen years, but working in other creative spaces all the while. Her debut novel The Unknown was just released this year, and she’s already at work on another book. “I’m starting small,” Avery says, “holding get-togethers in the lounge area of the speakeasy. We don’t have a liquor license yet, but people can come and BYO and pour a glass and join the circle. It’s not super-structured yet — I want to see what people want to see and do, but we have lots of options with the space. Open mic nights, maybe, especially once the lounge area is finished. But really, it’s more about the gathering and the community support.”

Avery suggests that the writing group isn’t the only outreach effort that her new space will see. “We have so much room for different possibilities,” she says. “I’m going to have my eyes open for other opportunities to make this place what people want and need it to be. This is just the start.”

And despite being a complicated opening, Avery remains confident and hopeful. “It’s been amazing, the turnout from friends and customers and the community,” Avery says. “They’ve really stepped up to help make everything work, and to make sure we’re able to accomplish what we’re setting out to do. Since the original idea of the shop was so rooted in providing a place for people to gather, a place for the community, that’s especially heartfelt, you know? I’ve been super grateful.”

The Urban Hideout is open now at 11720 West Colfax Avenue, Lakewood, and is taking reservations.