South Denver Food Hall Debuts a Revamp

While RiNo food hall Zeppelin Station is nearly extinct, another food hall in south Denver is celebrating its revival.

Junction Food & Drink originally opened in October 2020 at 2000 South Colorado Boulevard, but the project had broken ground two years prior — before the world had any clue what COVID-19 was, or what effect the pandemic would have on Denver.

With office buildings nearby and the University of Denver not far away, the project seemed to have a built-in audience, but it never really became a go-to in the neighborhood. A bit hidden in the Colorado Center, right across the plaza from Dave & Buster’s and the Regal UA & IMAX movie theater complex, it’s also struggled with its vendor lineup.

Now, though, it has new management and a full lineup of nine kitchens plus the forty-foot-long Junction Bar. FireTen Hospitality, which is based in Florida and specializes in food-hall management, has taken over operations from Dallas-based National Food Hall Solutions.

Vendor options include Sonder Coffee & Tea and Lazo Empanadas, which have been staples at Junction since its debut.

Newer food vendors include:

• Bowl’d Masla, a fast-casual take on Indian street food.
• Ebisu Ramen & Sushi, which serves small plates, sushi rolls, sushi bowls and ramen from the former head chef of Sushi Den, Soon Choi.
• Confetti Confections, a spot for colorful baked goodies, ice cream and boba drinks.
• Just Kool Jamaican Kitchen, where the specialties include oxtail and jerk chicken.
• R!OT, where you can order build-you-own burgers, chicken wraps, fries and shakes.
• Lulala, a cafe with a Venezuelan twist, serving arepas, cachapas, sandwiches, bagels and smoothies.
• Pizza & Pide, which combines classic pies alongside Turkish flatbreads.

Junction Food & Drink is hosting a weekend-long celebration for its reopening, including happy hour-priced drinks from October 24-26 for guests in costume.

On Friday, October 24, there will be live music and bar specials. Saturday, October 25, is a family-friendly event with face painting, balloon artists, a DJ and trick-or-treating at each vendor, plus goodie bags for the first 100 kids in costume. The weekend will wrap up on Sunday, October 26, with a community day complete with a brunch, a DJ and an artisan market.