Located at 1601 19th Street, Milepost Zero is outfitted with plenty of seating and includes a large outdoor patio, a full bar and a self-serve beer wall with 35 taps.
It has space for seven food vendors, and by the end of this week, each will be occupied by a local restaurateur. One chef that has been in the food hall since it debuted is Jesus Silva, who also currently has three concepts at the Golden Mill, though the future for him there is uncertain after Silva recently found himself caught in the middle of a complicated power struggle among leadership.
At Milepost Zero, he operates Crescent Moon Empanadas and Tora Sushi + Ramen, but he admits that business at this endeavor has been slow to grow. "They will bring a freshness to this place," Silva notes of the new additions, both of which fall under the Phatty Concepts. The new restaurant group was founded by Jeremy Betlach, who has owned Anthony's Pizza franchises in Denver (including the one currently in Milepost Zero) for two decades.
Jesus Silva, owner of Tora Sushi + Ramen at Milepost Zero, has high hopes for the food hall's future.
Kristin Pazulski
Also joining the lineup is Psychedelic Subs & Salads, which is expected to open on April 6 and will serve hot and cold subs on housemade bread along with classic salads.
Current vendors and McGregor Square CEO Patrick Walsh agree that Milepost Zero's biggest struggle thus far has been a lack of consistency. When the baseball season ended, some food vendors opted to stay open while others closed during the slow period.
Silva, who has been in the business for over three decades, remained open through the lulls and says that his lunch crowd has grown because of it. "We pushed through, and we have a lot of regulars now," he notes. But it hasn't been an easy path. "I used to say restaurants are really hard, but now restaurants are really hard," he adds.
As the vendors at Milepost Zero have shuffled since it debuted, they left opportunities for hungry vendors, like Silva, who was able to open Toro after Troy Guard's TAG Restaurant Group shut down its Tiny Giant Sushi.
Edgar Drago, who worked for TAG, opened his first concept with his wife, Karla, when TAG's Little Chingones moved out. Ta-Co opened about six months ago and serves burritos, street tacos and quesadillas. At the end of March, Drago moved Ta-Co to a larger space at the food hall and added Welcome to Colorful Bowls, which serves made-to-order taco bowls. Drago says he would not have opened his own restaurant without a space like this. "I really want to keep the restaurant small for a number of reasons," he says, listing off freshness of ingredients, consistency in product and the ability to test new menu items.
Efforts have been made to bring the crowds to McGregor Square and Milepost Zero year-round, like the ice rink that opened during the winter months and regular movie nights with films playing on the huge screen in the central patio area.
"I hope this is the year that it picks up," says Silva, who experienced similar growth pains when he opened concepts at Stanley Marketplace. "These places take time for people to know."
"The location is amazing," adds Drago. "I believe in the food hall."
Plus, now all the vendors are in agreement about maintaining regular hours. "Consistency is our game, and now everybody is on the same page," Silva concludes.
Milepost Zero is located at 1601 19th Street, and its food stalls are open at 11 a.m. daily. On April 6, it will be open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. for Opening Day. For more information, visit milepostzero.com.
