Every Opening and Closing This Week: Scooters Out, Chicken N Pickle In

While Middleman will dry up after this weekend, a new coffee spot is pouring in Five Points.

June 28, 2025

Scooters has closed in Aurora Bennito L. Kelty

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Scooters Sports Bar & Grill may have scooted off into the sunset. The longtime watering hole that bills itself as "Aurora's Favorite" abruptly cancelled today's Summer Kick Off party, citing "building maintenance issues." But while the same Instagram post says that Scooters is "still open to party," the place is locked up tight, with a handwritten "closed" sign on the door.

At least you'll get a chance to say goodbye to other favorites. Middleman is closing after this weekend, taking Misfit Snack Bar with it; a new Middleman incarnation will soon appear. There will be no reprieve for the two Great Divide bars in Denver, though; both are closing June 30, with the Barrel Bar location rumored to become a future padel facility. (The other Great Divide bars in the metro area will continue pouring; they're under different ownership.)

But there's good news, too. For the second week in a row, the biggest opening in metro Denver has pickleball on the menu. The national Chicken N Pickle chain now has a location at 14225 Lincoln Street in Thornton, which is celebrating its opening week with everything from free pickleball and food giveaways to a Sunday vendor fair. Beyond pickleball courts, the massive space has other yard games, a sports bar and a casual restaurant with a big menu.

A second Reggae Pot is now open at 2243 South Monaco Street Parkway, while the original keeps things cooking in Centennial. Oya Mediterranean Restaurant has taken over the former home of Falafel King at 825 Colorado Boulevard. And finally, a new joint has moved into the Coffee at the Point space: Fifth Coffee House is now pouring at 710 East 26th Avenue.

In other restaurant news:

There was a memorial for George Brokalakis, the founder of Crown Burgers, yesterday, and his staff took the day off...but Crown Burgers will be back in business today.

Gil Asakawa shared another family tradition: Scott Warnick and his two daughters have celebrated Taco Tuesday every week for almost six years.

Keep reading for all the restaurant openings and closings this week*:

The dining room at Barolo will be empty for the next ten days.

Barolo Grill

Opening:

Chicken N Pickle, 14225 Lincoln Street, Thornton
Fifth Coffee House, 710 East 26th Avenue
Oya Mediterranean Restaurant, 825 Colorado Boulevard
Reggae Pot, 2243 South Monaco Street Parkway

Temporarily Closed:

Barolo Grill, 3030 East Sixth Avenue (closed for annual staff trip to Italy)

Closures:

Scooters Sports Bar & Grill, 13698 East Alameda Avenue, Aurora

*or earlier, and not included on an earlier list.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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