A Heartier Hearth Opening in Highland This Month

Just six months after launching its second brick-and-mortar in the former Bicycle Cafe in Uptown, Hearth — our choice for Best Pastries at a Coffee Shop in the Best of Denver 2025 — is slated to open its third outpost this month at 3617 West 32nd Avenue.

The bakery got its start in 2021, primarily operating a commissary kitchen, doing pop-ups and selling at farmers' markets before opening a standalone shop in RiNo. Fast forward three years, and now there will be a Hearth in the area where it all began.

"We’ve been doing the Highland Farmers Market for the last three seasons, and we are super excited to join that neighborhood — it’s a place that’s embraced Hearth," says owner Matt Quinlisk. "Farmers' markets is where we really got the confidence to know that we had a product and business people were excited about, so it's awesome to be able to join that community year-round in a spot we really love."

The spot was home to Novo Coffee for ten years, but that outpost closed in January because of rising rent costs.

The opening of Hearth in Highland coincides with the start of farmers' market season, a time of year that excites Quinlisk and the bakery team. "We bring on more staff for market, which allows us to do more interesting things pastry-wise," he says. "It’s the prime time of produce in general and Colorado produce, so we'll have new products at the store on a rotating basis, consistently changing almost weekly, based on what we’re able to grab at farmers' markets.

Spring flavors bring changes in seasonal pastry offerings at Hearth. On the savory side it has an asparagus and ricotta salata Danish that's very asparagus forward (and maybe even more than that), and for sweet fans a poached rhubarb with vanilla bean custard Danish. The pound cake, which rotates monthly, is currently an Earl Grey and grapefruit tea cake that's tangy, tea-forward and slightly sweet.

In many ways, the Hearth in Highland will be similar to the other two locations, offering fresh-made pastries and bread plus house-roasted coffee from its sister cafe, Tablon, all within a relatively small space. Daily options will be consistent across all three shops, with availability determined by demand. The cafe itself is also similar in size to the other two — about 1,000 square feet, plus a patio, but the back of the house is significantly larger, which will allow Hearth Highlands to do some heartier menu items, like sandwiches. Plus, the building came with a liquor license, something that makes this location unique.
"We will probably do some drink specials — maybe alcoholic beverages on the weekend and potentially, down the road, some evening programming," says Quinlisk. "We just want to lean into the concept that we’ve been doing for the last few years and we’ll expand on maybe some wine nights, but not totally sure what it will look like yet."

There's also the opportunity to do pop-ups with neighboring businesses — the possibilities feel endless, Quinlisk says, so Hearth will focus first on opening a more standard shop in Highland, and then roll out alcohol, programming and a heartier menu after the busy summer season ends.

Quinlisk says he's happy about the success of his business, but also surprised. "I haven’t necessarily sought out a lot of... the retail locations," he admits. "We started as a wholesale bakery and knew that we wanted to do more to get into retail some day — I love seeing people enjoy the food and interact with the baristas. Walking into a shop buzzing with energy is when I’m at my happiest."

Though quick, the growth has been intentional, in the neighborhoods that have embraced and become familiar with Hearth at farmers' markets. "I did not intend to have a bunch of coffee shops," Quinlisk says. "It's just the model that works for us and allows us to feed the most people and have a good impact."

The Highlands Farmers' Market opens for the season on Sunday, May 18; the opening date for Hearth Highlands at 3617 West 32nd Avenue is TBD. Watch for more information at hearthdenver.com or on Instagram.