Casey Wilson
Audio By Carbonatix
At first glance, it appears that new Denver restaurants and bars far outpaced those closing in March, with the debut of 29 spots while we reported just nine closures. However, seven of those nine closures were within city limits, while more than half of the openings were in the suburbs — a trend that continues to grow.
Matt Cianni, co-owner of new Englewood eatery The Barn, said that when he was looking for potential spaces, he wanted to be “as close to Denver as possible without being in Denver,” adding that “working downtown and dealing with the city [of Denver] and the way they deal with permits, I think they really hurt the industry with them coming back after COVID.”
That’s a sentiment shared by many owners and operators. In response, the city has launched programs attempting to streamline the permitting process, but we’ve yet to hear any success stories from those efforts.
In the meantime, though, not all hope is lost for diners in the Mile High City. March brought a number of notable new Denver restaurants from local operations, including some early favorites such as FiNO, which has breathed decidedly more grown-up life into the former Rockbar space inside the totally revamped All Inn Motel; the doubling down of Ma’s Kitchen, which launched its expanded, more upscale space last month; and the debut of Chicken Riot, a counter-service spot focused on smoked chicken that’s from the owners of Riot BBQ.
But the exodus to the ‘burbs is a big bonus for those living in areas that used to be defined by chains. Along with the Barn, take note of spots like Metro Pie Pizza, which is slinging Hong Kong-inspired pies in Lakewood; and Poulette Bakeshop, which invested in a larger space in Parker instead of opting to move closer to its many Denver fans.
The bottom line: If you’re hungry for new spots to try, there are options throughout the entire metro area.
Antony Bruno
Here’s the complete list of restaurants and bars that opened and closed in March*:
Openings
The Barn South Broadway, 3299 South Broadway, Englewood
Cantina, 1416 Market Street
The Capital Grille, 9067 Westview Road, Lone Tree
CBurger, 1901 Wazee Street
Chicken Riot, 2906 East Sixth Avenue
Chicken Salad Chick, 5322 DTC Boulevard, Greenwood Village
Ebisu Sushi and Ramen Star, 4044 Tejon Street (replaced Ramen Star)
Fast as Pho, 10161 West Bowles Avenue, Littleton
Fat Sully’s Pizza, Denver International Airport, Concourse A food court
FiNO, 3015 East Colfax Avenue
Handel’s Ice Cream, 16689 Washington Street, Thornton
Keepers Cocktail Lounge and June Gap Market and Café inside Apiary Hotel, 4855 South Quebec Street
Ma’s Kitchen: Dim Sum & Bar, 2301 East Colfax Avenue
McGregor Square Food & Drink, 1601 19th Street
Mendocino Farms, 3452 West 32nd Street
Metro Pie Pizza, 890 Wadsworth Boulevard, Lakewood
Mr. Taco, 6200 Leetsdale Drive
OGO Korean BBQ & Sushi Pronto at Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop Street
Otra Vez Cantina, 610 16th Street (reopened)
Paperboy, 3940 West 32nd Avenue
Petit Chelou at Hop Alley, 3500 Larimer Street
Poulette Bakeshop (moved to new location), 19865 Mainstreet, Parker
Sam’s Dumpling Kitchen, 7541 South University Boulevard, Littleton
Someplace Else Brewing, 2360 East 120th Avenue, Thornton
Sukiya Ramen, 3401 South Broadway, Englewood
Taqueria Los Gallitos, 5810 Logan Street
Vaultaire, 39 South Broadway
Wapos Cantina, 3495 South Broadway, Englewood
Wings My Way, 4990 Kipling Street, Wheat Ridge
Evan Semon
Closures
Ballyhoo Table & Stage, 3300 Tejon Street
Dark Horse, 2922 Baseline Road, Boulder
Denver Distillery, 244 South Broadway
Ghost Saloon, 1422 Larimer Street
The Guest, 1432 Market Street
Ramen Star, 4044 Tejon Street
Reunion Bakery (moving to a new location), 3350 Brighton Boulevard
Super Mega Bien, 1260 25th Street
Yak & Yeti, 8775 East Orchard Road, Greenwood Village (transitioning back to Spice Trade Brewing)
*Or earlier and not previously reported.
Know of something we missed? Email cafe@westword.com.
