After graduating college and moving to Denver in the '70s, Kevin Geraghty started going to the Club 404, which Jerry Feld sold a year ago after a six-decade run. After a brief stint as Denver Wheel Club 404, Geraghty, who owned Brendan's Pub for almost ten years on Market Street, took over the space last month and is the process of turning it into Brendan's 404 with live music and a new menu.
See also: - Photos: Denver Wheel Club 404 rolls into former Club 404 - Best of Denver 2000: Brendan's Pub - Best Blues Club - Damn right, Brendan's has got the blues
Geraghty says Club 404 was part of his life for a long time and that he probably wouldn't have gotten back into business unless it was for something like this. After a decade-long run with Brendan's Pub on Market Street, he and sister bought and renovated the space at 2009 Larimer Street and moved the home of the blues down a few blocks. After close to two years, the spot closed and Soda Jerk opened up the Marquis Theater in the space.
When Brendan's closed, Geraghty worked in the software business for a while and also did some bar and restaurant consulting. Partnered up with Alex Tongbua, owner of Mali Thai restaurant in the Denver Tech Center, Geraghty is bringing back the Brendan's name, but this time it's an iconic space on Broadway rather than downtown. "I kind of wanted to give it a shot again," Geraghty says, "do some music and have a project. There's a lot of work to do, but it's kind of fun."
For now, Geraghty and company are making some small repairs, and within a few weeks, they'll be doing more major renovating, mostly in the mornings. "We're trying to lighten the place up a bit," he says, "and make it more accessible." Because of the feedback they're gotten on Facebook regarding the name and paying homage to both Brendan's and Club 404, Geraghty says they're answering the phone now as Brendan's 404.
"I have lot of respect for the Feld family," he concludes. "Those guys were awesome. This is kind of an iconic location in Denver. We'd like to try to do it justice, so you have to keep the history in mind a little bit."
Follow @Westword_Music
