Popular Bakery Debuts Second Location in Uptown

Uptown has a new addition: Hearth Bakery is celebrating the grand opening of its second location at 1300 East 17th Avenue on Friday, November 15, with $1 drinks all day and live music on the patio in the evening.

The space at the corner at 17th and Lafayette Street was formerly the home to Denver Bicycle Cafe, a much-loved coffee shop, beer bar and bike shop until it closed in November 2019. In February 2023, Alpine Dog Brewing Company moved in but it called it quits at the end of March this year.

Hearth, which offers coffee service and a selection of bread and pastries, quickly flipped the space. A longer renovation, set to be complete by early 2025, will turn the storefront next door into a public-facing bakery where visitors can watch fresh bread being made.

After getting its start as a pop-up at farmers' markets, Hearth opened its first brick-and-mortar in RiNo in 2022. Owner Matt Quinlisk attended baking school in San Francisco before becoming pastry chef at Moxie Bread Co. in Louisville alongside late co-owner Andy Clark, who was a James Beard Award Outstanding Baker semifinalist in 2018.
Quinlisk has a passion for locally milled flours, and Hearth has become known for its breads and croissants. Laminated over multiple days with French butter to create a flaky, crispy crust, classic croissants are then flavored. The fan favorite is the almond croissant, but Hearth also makes savory options, like a version with seasonal Béchamel, roasted potato and herbs. Hearth also boasts a rotating selection of danishes and breakfast pastries as well as sourdough and unleavened bread.

Hearth's espresso and coffee is house-roasted by sister company Tablón Coffee Roasters. Current coffee offerings lean El Salvadoran, though coffee is sourced from Central and South America as well as Africa. Tablón Coffee director Kevin Mayberry and sustainability director Nicole Diefenbach join their growers  to restore land and support innovative, regenerative agricultural approaches. To promote sustainability from the consumer side, drinks are served in glass jars at no additional charge. Return a jar (or bring a reusable cup of your own) and get 50 cents off. Extra-hot beverages like Americanos and drip coffee come in compostable cups.
Plenty of locals have already visited the new bakery during its soft opening. "In the first week, we've had so many people come in and be thrilled with a daytime option, with enthusiasm for community as well," Quinlisk says.

Hearth has maintained the homey feel that made Denver Bicycle Cafe a neighborhood favorite. It has plenty of seating, a patio in the back for gathering and an inviting vibe that makes you want to stay a while.

"Its an older building versus a new build," says Quinlisk of Hearth's second home. "It's warmer and has unique character that's inherent in the building, whereas Hearth RiNo is cleaner, more modern."

Despite the differences between the two locations, Hearth fans can expect the same consistently delicious pastries paired with flavorful coffee regardless of which spot they visit.

Hearth Uptown is located at 1300 East 17th Avenue and is open from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. For more information, visit hearthdenver.com.