Every Restaurant Opening This Week — and a Lot of Big Closures

At the end of January, we noted that the aftereffects of the pandemic, the increase in Denver's minimum wage and other hospitality industry challenges might lead to some big closures. This past week saw several of them — though for a variety of reasons — with three more hitting Sunday.

Kevin Jennings, the North Carolina-based owner of fine-dining eatery Avelina, bluntly blamed a laundry list of problems including "liberal policies...making urban areas worse" — though the downtown restaurant hadn't inspired much buzz since its 2016 opening, and failed to entice diners to return after the pandemic.  Both Avelina and Three Saints Revival, the Mediterranean restaurant that gave up its location in the Hotel Indigo, cited vacant downtown office space as a factor in their demises, though Three Saints owner Robert Thompson is also focused on other projects — including Camp Pickle, which is set to open in Centennial this year and Globeville in 2025.

Slow foot traffic downtown was an issue for Ana's Norwegian Bakeri's very short-lived 16th Street Mall location, but contributing to challenges were permitting delays (an ongoing issue for business owners) that pushed back its opening to the colder months. A few blocks away, El Mercado, the daytime market and grab-and-go eatery attached to the Regular on Market Street, is also out as the owners prepare to swap it with a new concept.

For Ian's Pizza, the culprit was flooding in its Blake Street space last year, causing extensive damage that was "catastrophic — more than we can come back from," it shared in a statement on its website. The Tavern Lowry is also gone; the property will be sold as part of a settlement agreement in an internal Tavern Hospitality Group dispute.

Sunday will log a trio of closings. Il Posto is calling it quits in RiNo, where chef/owner Andrea Frizzi moved his Italian eatery in 2016. The original Tacos Tequila Whiskey on East Colfax will close, with plans to introduce something new in that space. One of the city's oldest Vietnamese eateries, New Saigon, will also shutter; its former longtime owners still operate the attached bakery that goes by the same name next door, and it's possible that could expand into the restaurant space.

There has always been an ebb and flow in the restaurant scene, and while these losses are notable, there continue to be a lot of openings, as well.

The new bars and restaurants

A dozen new bars and restaurants have recently debuted in the metro area, including 5 on Lawrence, a sports bar from the owner of Max Market; MoonRise, an outdoor bar and food truck park from the owner of Adobo; and Harvey Park Grille, which Jelly owner Josh Epps opened in the space long occupied by Rosemary Cafe.

There are also some expansions of successful brands, including Breckenridge-based the Blue Fish, which now has a Denver outpost; the Green Collective, which opened a second location on South Gaylord Street; Hong Kong Station, which added a takeout location on East Yale; and Great Divide Brewing, which now has a Great Divide Brewery & Roadhouse location in Lone Tree, at 9878 Schwab Way.

And one business has made its long-awaited return. In December 2021, Tacos La Tapatia, a mainstay in the Elyria-Swansea neighborhood, announced its temporary closure. At the time, owners Oscar Perez and Rico Aguilera said they planned to come back in the spring of 2022; in the meantime, they continued to run their catering service, Little Angels Food Services, which provides meals for thirty schools. And finally, Tacos La Tapatia is back in a new space with takeout only, "but the dream doesn't stop there," they share. "The plan is to expand Tacos La Tapatia with the ultimate goal of overtaking fast food giants."

In other openings-and-closings news

• Colorado Plus Brew Pub and Taphouse in Wheat Ridge is on pause for a remodel, with plans to reopen this summer.
• Texas travel center Buc-ee's announced that its first Colorado location will open in Johnstown on March 18.
• Sunnyside sandwich shop Bodega will add a second location in the Cole neighborhood this fall.

Here's the full list of restaurants and bars that opened and closed this week:*

Openings:

5 on Lawrence, 2020 Lawrence Street
The Blue Fish, 1607 Wewatta Street
Curry & Grill 2 Indian Nepali Cuisine, 1320 East 17th Avenue
Dumpling Kitchen, 5979 East Colfax Avenue
Great Divide Brewing & Roadhouse, 9878 Schwab Way, Lone Tree
The Green Collective, 1058 South Gaylord Street
Harvey Park Grille, 2133 South Sheridan Boulevard
Hong Kong Station 2Go, 6460 East Yale Avenue
La Hotpot and BBQ, 4775 Kipling Sreet, Wheat Ridge
MoonRise Garden Bar & Food Truck Park, 6875 West 38th Avenue, Wheat Ridge
Santo Remedio, 3900 Tennyson Street
Tacos La Tapatia, 4880 North Havana Way

Temporary closures:

Colorado Plus Brew Pub & Taphouse (remodel), 6995 West 38th Avenue, Wheat Ridge

Permanent closures:

Avelina, 1550 17th Street
El Mercado, 1432 Market Street
Ian's Pizza, 2210 Blake Street
Tavern Lowry, 7401 East First Avenue
Three Saints Revival, 1801 Wewatta Street

*Or earlier and not previously reported.

Know of something we missed? Email [email protected].