Restaurant Roll Call: Every Opening and Closing in April

Even with all the very real challenges involved in opening and maintaining restaurants in the Denver area, April still recorded twice as many openings as closings. Even more heartening were the number of expansions of existing businesses, suggesting that some current operators are doing well enough to justify added growth rather than simply surviving day to day.

In fact, nearly half of this month’s openings were either added locations of existing Denver-based restaurants or new concepts launched by Denver-based hospitality groups. They include the fifth location for Mary Nguyen’s Olive & Finch, this one in the Golden Triangle; Ash & Agave in the Cherry Creek Shopping Center, from the Shucking Good Hospitality Group (Oliver’s Italian, Blue Island Oyster Bar and Seafood); and the just-this-week opening of the Virginia Village outpost of Park Hill’s Local Butcher & Deli.

Also coming in hot among new openings this week is Wash Park Social Club, which replaces the former Wash Park Grill at the bustling corner of South Gaylord Street and Mississippi Avenue. Up in Boulder, the highly anticipated Odd Rabbit sushi debuted; it’s a concept from the team behind the Michelin Bib Gourmand-winning Glo Noodle House.

However, the month also saw some sad closures, including The Pearl in the old Mercury Cafe building, the over 40-year-old Imperial Chinese, and the venerable Colfax pizza legend Enzo’s End. When long-familiar faces like these exit the scene, it’s easy and tempting to slip into a sky-is-falling state of despair. But the truth is, the only constant is impermanence, and the ongoing ebb and flow of Denver’s restaurant tides simply motivates us more to try all that is new and revisit the favorites of old.

Here’s the complete list of restaurants and bars that opened and closed in April*:

Openings

Ash & Agave, 3000 East First Avenue
Broken Bow, 2201 Lawrence Street
Bong Bong Hot Pot, 10630 East Iliff Avenue, Aurora
Cellar 36 Eatery & Wine Bar, 5500 South Simms Street, Littleton
Cenizas Mexican Restaurant & Cantina, 3900 Tennyson Street
Chili Shack, 361 North Main Street, Brighton
The Couloir, located inside Meier Skis, 1775 South Broadway
DiFranco’s, 7727 West 92nd Avenue, Westminster
Ephemeral Tap & Bottle Jefferson Park, 2855 West 25th Avenue
Flip & Howl Burger Kitchen, 4800 Lowell Boulevard (inside Little Wolf)
Good Luck Club, 1350 South Broadway
The Local Butcher & Deli, 1441 South Holly Street
Marczyk Mighty Market, 1800 Wazee Street
Maryjane’s Hideaway, 5280 West 25th Avenue, Edgewater
Olive & Finch Golden Triangle, 1140 Bannock Street
Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co., 15464 East Hampden Avenue, Aurora
Shuck Brothers at Avanti, 3200 Pecos Street
Spice Trade Brewery & Kitchen, 8775 East Orchard Road, Greenwood Village
Taco Star, 6151 East Colfax Avenue
Waldo’s Chicken & Beer, 640 South Colorado Boulevard, Glendale
Wash Park Social, 1096 S Gaylord Street
ZoiglBräu, 5120 East Hampden Avenue, Aurora

Reopening

The Grandview Tavern and Grill, 7427 Grandview Avenue, Arvada (new owner)
Jack’s Modern Steakhouse, 9155 Park Meadows Drive, Lone Tree (after fire)
Little Man Ice Cream Scoop Shop, 10175 East 29th Drive, Aurora (seasonal reopening)
Old Blinking Light, 9344 Dorchester Street, Highlands Ranch

Closings

Asian Cajun, 2400 West Alameda Avenue
China Taipei, 8100 South Quebec Street, Centennial
Dumplin’, 3609 West 32nd Avenue
Enzo’s on Colfax, 3424 East Colfax Avenue
Genna Rae’s Wings & More, 1819 East 28th Avenue
Imperial Chinese, 431 South Broadway
Kung Fu Tea, 9559 South University Boulevard, Littleton  
Mighty Burger, 5768 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada
Nativ Hotel & Gatsby Social, 1612 Wazee Street
The Pearl, 2199 California Street
Pesto Italiano, 3999 South Broadway, Englewood
Señor Burritos II, 2553 Kipling Street, Lakewood
Sirens Bar & Grill, 7444 West Chatfield Avenue #D, Littleton

*Or earlier and not previously reported.

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