Southside posted this message on its Facebook page earlier this week:
Well, Southside friends, the time come as with all good things for us to move on. With the non-renewal of our lease by a difficult landlord unwilling to work with us, Southside Bar | Kitchen's last day will be Sunday June 16th at good ol' 3014 East Colfax. Don't worry, though, up til and through that day we'll be slinging booze, brews and food for ya along with smiles, jokes and fun. Keep an eye out for our big Farewell Blast event and come on down for SUUUUUUPER cheap beers and drinks during that blowout. It's been a great 5 years with you - come on down, hang with your fave bartenders & let's make the last few weeks the best yet! Love ya!The "difficult landlord" is Brian Mathenge, who also owned Cold Crush at 2700 Larimer Street, until he lost his lease there in October 2017. When Cold Crush closed, Mathenge attempted to evict Elliott so he could move into the building he owned, but Elliott won out and stayed for the remainder of Southside's lease.
Cold Crush experienced a number of problems during its run in RiNo, including the fatal shooting of Tyrone Adair Jr. (aka rapper BossMan Goodie) outside the club in 2016, the second shooting there in two years, which led the city to temporarily shut the place down as a public nuisance.
Mathenge has since opened Rock Steady at 2100 Curtis Street with Curtis Club (the venue's previous incarnation) owner Scott Bagus. With his property at 3014 East Colfax Avenue soon to be vacant, the rebirth of Cold Crush remains a possibility.
Meanwhile, Elliott recently purchased Streets of London from previous owners Peter Ore and Keith Winyard; he's been slowly upgrading the punk-rock bar — including renaming it Streets Denver — that once had a reputation as a neo-Nazi hangout.
