Viand, Reunion Gastro Pub Make Way for Two New Steakhouses

Two neighboring downtown restaurant addresses with a history of change are in the process of becoming something new once again. Reunion Gastro Pub & Wine Bar, at 1480 Arapahoe Street, and Viand, at 1040 15th Street (both on the ground floor of the Brooks Towers apartments), opened last summer but didn't last long. Viand is now closed, and signs are up on the building announcing that III Forks, a national steakhouse chain, will open in its stead. And while Reunion is still open, management has announced that it is in the process of converting to a Cool River Cafe, which will become the second in the Denver area.

Cool River's other metro-area location, on East Belleview Avenue in the Denver Tech Center, has somewhat of a steak-themed menu too, so the idea of two new beef-heavy eateries opening side by side may seem a little counterproductive, but both III Forks and Cool River are operated by Consolidated Restaurant Operations, Inc. And while steak features heavily on both menus, Cool River is billed as a "Southwestern grille."

Viand and Reunion were both run under the same ownership in sibling spaces formerly occupied by Le Chateau and Prime Steakhouse. And before that, La Fondue and Gallagher’s Steakhouse called the corner of 15th and Arapahoe streets home.

Here's the announcement from Reunion, which will officially become Cool River on June 7, as it appeared on the restaurant's website:

We are excited to announce….

Opening Late May, Cool River Steakhouse to Downtown Denver!

Cool River Steakhouse will be Downtown Denver’s top steakhouse and seafood restaurant featuring an elegant atmosphere, offering private rooms for parties, celebrations and business meetings. We are conveniently located at the corner of 15th and Arapahoe in Downtown Denver, the new space will boast more than 1500 bottles of wine, 20 beers on tap, the majority from Colorado breweries, craft cocktails.