Every Opening and Closing This Week, Including Shakeups on South Federal

For months, more new restaurants and bars have opened every week than establishments have closed. But recently, there's been a slew of news about places that have suddenly shuttered, or soon will.

Mockery Brewing in RiNo will pour its last beer on Saturday, August 12, the same day that chef Amos Watts will serve the last meal at the Fifth String. He'd opened his restaurant in the former home of Old Major, at 3316 Tejon Street, in 2020; Watts is now searching for a new, more intimate location for the Fifth String.

Humboldt Kitchen + Bar will soon be closing its doors at 1700 Humboldt Street, once the home of the legendary Strings. According to a message on its website: "Regretfully, the owners and management of Humboldt Kitchen + Bar announce its upcoming closure, which is anticipated to be early September, 2023. After negotiation, the restaurant owners and landlord were unable to settle on lease extension terms that were acceptable and sustainable for the future of the business." The restaurant is part of Concept Restaurants, Inc., which was founded by hospitality veteran Frank Day; he founded the Old Chicago pizza chain, among many other projects.
Several places closed recently with no warning and no explanation. Just five months after its debut, Sofia's Roman Pizza on the 16th Street Mall shut its doors. Chocolate Lab, Denver's only chocolate-centric restaurant, which was forced to move out of its original East Colfax location in early 2022, was also open for only five months in its new Hilltop location before it shuttered once again, this time for good.

And on South Federal Boulevard, two longtime Mexican staples are gone. 4G's, which was started by the Gonzalez family in 1973 on Santa Fe Drive before moving to Federal in 1994, is now closed, leaving one remaining 4G's location, in Littleton. The former 4G's on Broadway in Englewood became Chula earlier this year.

Cafe Chihuahua, which recently became Chihuahua' Cantina y Cocina under the ownership of the nephews of the man who founded the eatery, is in new hands once again. A post on the restaurant's Facebook page explains: "The original cook who brought our beloved Cafe Chihuahua to life back in 1996 will be taking over and embarking on a new adventure." The eatery is now the second location of El Zarape; its original location is still open at 1065 Federal Boulevard.

In other openings-and-closings news:

• Bobby's Burgers by Bobby Flay is planning to open ten units in the Denver metro area.
• "Underworld speakeasy" the Devil's Drink will debut in LoHi this month.
• Learn more about Boulder's newest Mexican restaurant, Masas, which specializes in Oaxacan fare.

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

El Zarape, 2250 South Federal Boulevard

Restaurants and bars that closed this week:*

4G's Mexican Restaurant, 2788 South Federal Boulevard
Chihuahua' Cantina y Cocina, 2250 South Federal Boulevard
Chocolate Lab, 5575 East Third Avenue
Sofia's, 1530 16th Street Mall

*Or earlier and not previously reported.

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