Molly Martin
Audio By Carbonatix
Among the many sandwich shops we love in Denver, Mr. Lucky’s has long been a favorite for affordable lunch breaks in Capitol Hill and LoHi.
Last December, fans of Mr. Lucky’s got a scare when owner Galen Juracek told Westword that he may be closing one, or both, of the shop’s locations after a situation with a fraudulent lender left him short of operating capital. After a short break, both outposts did reopen in early January. But now, the situation has taken a different turn.
“It’s a tough decision, but one that I’m ready to make, ” says Juracek, who has decided to shutter both locations of Mr. Lucky’s for good at the end of 2025. “The leases are up, and it’s just time.”
Though this time of year is always slow in the restaurant industry, Juracek says that overall, 2025 brought better sales than the prior year; the decision to close wasn’t a financial one. “It’s more of a personal decision,” he notes. “I don’t know that if I woke up in five years and was running a sandwich shop…I don’t know if I can see that for myself. Life is about timing, and I feel like it’s time to do something else.”
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He’s not quite sure what that something will be, though. “I still have to unwind this a little bit,” he says, adding that in closing a business, there’s “quite a bit of work on the way out.”
My. Lucky’s originally opened in Capitol Hill in 1999. Juracek took over in 2017 and added the LoHi outpost two years later. At both locations, “the landlords have been great,” he notes. So great, there’s still a small window in which they could work with Juracek to keep Mr. Lucky’s going if a new owner is interested in taking over the brand.
“If somebody potentially wants to make sandwiches in the Mr. Lucky’s name, if the right person wanted to do it with the right capital, that’s something that’s possible,” Juracek says. “Otherwise, I’ll hold onto the Mr. Lucky’s name.” That would leave another window for potentially resurrecting it in a new location one day…or just letting it go for good.
“Sometimes it’s not always about the sandwich,” he concludes. “I love making people happy, and I know our product is good. It’s just time to do something new.”
Mr. Lucky’s is located at 711 East Sixth Avenue in Capitol Hill and 3326 Tejon Street in LoHi. Both locations will be open regular hours through December 31. For more information, visit mrluckysco.com.
