Harvard Gulch Breakfast Spot Maddie's Set for Grand Reopening in Big New Space

Gayor Geller opened Maddie's in 2013 at 2423 South Downing, naming the tiny breakfast eatery after his daughter. Maddie was just a toddler at the time, and only three years have passed since then, but her namesake restaurant has grown up. Later this month, Geller will unveil a brand-new version of Maddie's — right next door to the original — that will seat more than four times the number of guests in what was once a neighborhood service station.

The grand opening, scheduled for November 26 and 27, comes after years of planning and an extensive renovation of the gas station. Geller and his family owned both properties before the original Maddie's opened and always intended to convert the 1950s-era building into a restaurant. Two glass garage doors and a covered driveway (where gas pumps once stood) give away the building's origins, but modern features have been added, including an expansive patio, an outdoor fireplace and an open kitchen with big windows looking out onto Downing Street.

Geller was born and raised in the Harvard Gulch neighborhood where Maddie's stands, and he also earned a law degree from the nearby University of Denver. Before opening his restaurant, he earned accreditation from the American Culinary Federation and completed the cooking program at Cook Street School of Culinary Arts.

Little Maddie's is now closed as Geller and his team transition to the new space, but the big new Maddie's will be ready to serve breakfast at 7 a.m., as it always has, come opening day.