Carmine’s Italian Restaurant is closing one of two locations

Carmine’s on Penn has been a staple of the Denver Italian food scene since 1994, with a brand so strong that, in 2021, the Ballpark District welcomed the first expansion of the popular family-style concept in downtown’s McGregor Square. 

But today, we’ve learned that the downtown experiment is coming to an end. 

“After five wonderful years, it is time for us to say goodbye to McGregor Square and thank our friends, neighbors, and guests in LoDo for the incredible memories we’ve shared,” reads a post on the company’s website. “McGregor Square has truly been a special place to call home.”

The last day of service will be Saturday, July 18.

While the downtown chapter is closing, the company assures fans the original location at 92 S. Pennsylvania St. remains open. 

“The tradition continues at our original location in West Wash Park,” reads the statement. “We look forward to welcoming you at Carmine’s on Penn and continuing the traditions that have brought people together for so many years.”

Carmine’s on Penn was founded in 1994 by restaurateur Larry Herz, who is now known for running the restaurant promotion Instagram account ocn_eats and as a regular on CBS Colorado’s “Your Local Dish” segment. Over the years, the restaurant has been a local’s favorite and remains on Westword’s list of 10 Best Italian Restaurants.

Brad Ritter, a general manager for nine years, became a minority owner in 2008 and then bought the restaurant outright from partners Steve and Shannon Bangert in 2015. He opened Little Carmine’s in 2013 in a space directly next to the flagship location, which remains open, before expanding further to McGregor Square in 2021. 

“For years, so many people would say, ‘You need to open a Carmine’s in my neighborhood,'” Ritter told Westword at the time. He had considered other locations before developers approached him about joining the new McGregor Square project, but added, “How could you say no to this opportunity?” 

McGregor Square was a highly publicized project that transformed a former parking lot across from Coors Field into a dining and entertainment destination. Carmine’s closure removes one of the Square’s founding restaurant tenants, which includes The Original, The Rally Bar, Tom’s Watch Bar and Milepost Zero , all of which are still open. Since then, Call Me Pearl and La Loma have also entered the space. 

But according to Ritter, the McGregor Square location just wasn’t generating enough traffic to sustain the restaurant’s business.

“Essentially, it’s a lack of business,” he says. “It’s just very quiet, so continued business wasn’t viable.”

He says that the company managing the McGregor Square properties was understanding, which made reaching a mutually acceptable agreement easy.

“My landlord is fabulous, and has been since day one,” Ritter says. “We agreed that it was just time.”

Ritter also casts doubt on any further Carmine’s expansions, at least as long as he remains the owner.

“I probably won’t because of my age,” he says. “I’m not a newbie. My first restaurant job was 53 years ago. It’s probably time to just pass it on to someone else. It’s been a really good experience for me. I’m going to focus on Carmine’s on Penn and try to make it as good as we possibly can for whoever might take it over from me someday.”

Carmine’s on Penn is located at 92 S Pennsylvania St. and is open from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday, and 4 to 8 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit carminesonpenn.net.