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Old Denver restaurants are disappearing. The Paramount Cafe, a mainstay on the 16th Street Mall for more than three decades, served its last pretzel on Labor Day weekend.
The restaurant was operated by Premier Ventures Inc., which also owns Marlowe's next door; Govnr's Park Tavern, the circa 1976 watering hole at 672 Logan Street; and Lala's Wine Bar + Pizzeria, at East Seventh Avenue and Logan. According to Premier, all three of those establishments will also close as their leases expire, with Govnr's Park shutting on November 11, Marlowe's on December 22 and Lala's on December 23.
At the news, readers began pouring out memories...and more.
Asks Bernie:
The hell, Denver?!? You used to be cool.
Says Heidi:
Oh, so sad! I used to go to Paramount in the afternoon and stay all night when I was underage. And I went to Marlowe's for prom, and I worked my first job at Govnr's Park as a hostess. Guess I'm getting old.
Adds Dan:
Lifelong Denver resident. Marlowe’s was my grandfather's favorite restaurant. So sad to see this. Too many bullshit elevated whatever restaurants catering to pretentious transplants pushing out Denver staples. I get that it’s just business, but this is seriously disappointing.
Liana points out:
All these people with “such fond memories.” Are those memories from multiple years ago? Yeah, that’s why these places are closing.
Suggests Thomas:
A vegan hipster restaurant must be taking its place...
Says TJ:
When is it going to end? There isn't going to be any culture or regional flavor left. They'll turn it into one of their playgrounds for the rich, like Manhattan or Santa Monica, where normal people can't afford to live anymore. People will have to commute for hours just to scrape by while serving people who don't have to care about trivial sh*t like gas money or the cost of groceries.
Adds Harry:
The city is in the process of losing all of its personality. The suburbs have moved into the city.
And Jame concludes:
Being a fourth generation Denver native, the last line of the article couldn't have said the truth better."Drink up, and toast a rapidly disappearing Denver." I will soon be toasting this place goodbye, one way or another.
Keep reading for more of our coverage of closing restaurants.
"The Paramount Cafe Goes Dark; Lala's, Marlowe's and Govnr's Park to Follow"
"Paramount Cafe Co-Owner Discusses Closing Four Restaurants"
"The Old Spaghetti Factory Is Closing After 45 Years Downtown"
"We recognize the impression these restaurants have left in Denver, so we wanted to give as much notice as possible,” owners Mike Plancarte and John Ott said in a statement following the close of the Paramount. “We want to not only properly say goodbye, but also give our staff timely opportunity to find their next position. This is of utmost importance to us as we end this era.”
And it's been a very long era for some of these spots. While Premier has owned the restaurants for just over twenty years, Govnr's Park was one of Denver's original fern bars, having opened in 1976. And like the Paramount, Marlowe's has been a mall mainstay for more than three decades. But the restaurant business is changing.
"We weren't going to be sustainable," Plancarte says, "so we thought it would be better to go out with our heads held high."
What do you think about the loss of the Paramount? The other closings of longtime Denver restaurants? Post your thoughts in a comment, or email cafe@westword.com.
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