But at least this closure is temporary: Niya and Grant Gingerich, the folks behind Local 46 — the beloved Tennyson Street bar that closed in late 2020 in the face of impending development, then enjoyed a revival last year before again shuttering — are buying the Edgewater Inn, with the deal set to close at the end of the month.
The DiPietros originally ran the Edgewater Inn as a 3.2 bar. When the post office next door at 5302 West 25th Avenue moved out, they jumped at the chance to go for the bigger building — and a full liquor license.
"To accomplish this task, many hours of hard work were required," the Edgewater's now-defunct website reported. "Ben and Josephine had to petition everyone in the neighborhood, meaning they had to go to every household to ask the residents if they were or were not in favor of a bar going into the community. This amounted to a total of 96 blocks, this was no easy task. They did however succeed in getting enough signatures and community support to acquire a license."
The Edgewater Inn's founders passed away a decade ago, and now their heirs have sold the spot just shy of its seventieth anniversary. But it promises to remain a family-friendly, family-run place, from owners who understand the importance of community.
Here's the announcement on the Local 46 Facebook page:
We are very happy to share the news that we will be re-opening Local in Edgewater in the coming year! Happy New Year!At one point, the Gingeriches were looking at reopening Local 46 on West 38th Avenue, in the former home of El Chapultepec II. But while we look forward to Local 25, we'll be able to belly up to that great horseshoe bar at the center of the Edgewater's original spot. One question: Will it still be serving up schooners of beer?
We have purchased Edgewater Inn, if you are not familiar, it is a Denver icon, a pizzeria in the heart of downtown Edgewater on a prime corner of the main business district. It has been in business since 1953 under the same family. We are honored to carry on the legacy they have built. The charming and cozy restaurant will remain the same, we have a great pizza chef and have been working tirelessly to dial in our recipes. Our team has been working hard cleaning and re-organizing some things so we can bring you the excellent experience you were used to at Local 46- but in restaurant form!
We are thrilled to have the opportunity to own our space this time around and invest in a thriving community gathering space for Edgewater. Our mission is to bring an inclusive and community focused establishment to the heart of Edgewater.
If everything goes as planned 🤞We will be opening Jan 4th! Hours to start will be Wed, Thurs, Sun noon-midnight (Kitchen Open til 10pm) Fri and Sat Open until 1am (Kitchen until midnight).
PHASE II: Local 25 :: Create a separate yet cohesive concept, Local 25, on the West side of the restaurant. Think Local 46, same same but different! We are working with architects and the City of Edgewater on plans as we speak and will get to work ASAP!
