Midnight Snack: Chains Dominate the Current 24/7 Diner Options

One of the casualties of the pandemic was the 24/7 diner, with all-night joints taking a major hit. While a few are making a comeback, one never reopened after all Colorado restaurants were ordered to close to on-premises dining in March 2020.

That would be Tom's Diner at 601 East Colfax Avenue. But its demise was no surprise: It was going to close by summer 2020 anyway, in a deal that allowed owner Tom Messina to sell to a developer who promised to not only keep the structure — a classic example of Googie coffeehouse architecture that got its start as part of the White Spot chain — but get it listed on the official historic register. The pandemic just moved up that timetable.

But the pandemic also claimed the Denver Diner at 740 West Colfax, which occupied another example of Googie architecture that had started life as a White Spot. While the popular diner had reopened soon after restaurants were allowed to offer on-site dining in late May of 2020, it never came back after restaurants were again ordered closed that November. The Skordos family had already sold the property several years ago; last week it was revealed that it had been sold again, to a bank.

Back in January, when Konstantine Skordos, who was running his family joint, revealed that the Denver Diner would not be reopening at its original spot, he told us: "I’ll never forget the place, and I’ll make sure nobody else does, either. We may be gone for now, but not forever. We will be back, Denver, better than ever."

So far, though there's no word from the Skordos clan on where the Denver Diner might reopen — if it ever does.

Other former 24/7 go-tos around town, such as Breakfast King and McCoy's, are still shutting their doors well before midnight. But there are a handful of spots where you can now score a meal at all hours, as long as you don't mind visiting a chain. And Great Scotts Eatery and Pete's Kitchen have brought back all-night service, at least on the weekend.

Here are your current 24/7 options in the Denver metro area:
Denny's
6 of 13 metro Denver locations
Open 24 hours

Great Scotts Eatery
1295 Cortez Street
303-428-3558
Open 24 hours Thursday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday

IHOP
1595 South Colorado Boulevard
303-758-1492
Open 24 hours

Perkins
1995 South Colorado Boulevard
303-757-7155
Open 24 hours

Pete's Kitchen
1962 East Colfax Avenue
303-321-3139
7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. Friday through 9 p.m. Sunday

Waffle House
Castle Rock, Littleton and Parker locations
Open 24 hours