Restaurant Roll Call: February Brought Big Closures and Thirty New Spots

While it seemed like last month was dominated by closures, openings actually far outpaced the number of places that shuttered.

We reported thirteen establishments that said goodbye in February, while thirty additions joined the scene. And of the closures, some are pivoting instead of shutting the doors for good, including Il Posto, where a new concept will be opening in its spot in RiNo, and the original Tacos Tequila Whiskey, which founder Kevin Morrison is swapping out for a tavern-style pizza joint called Rolling Pin. Jade Mountain Brewery quietly rebranded as the more metal Incarnation, and the daytime offshoot of the Regular, El Mercado, will become a specialty wine and spirits shop.

Making a big splash was the back-to-back loss of Avelina and Three Saints Revival downtown, both of which blamed vacant office buildings as contributing to the closure decision. But a recent addition to the dining scene, the Velvet Cellar, countered that. While its team admits that operating downtown right now comes with challenges for independent restaurants, “it is coming back. It is growing,” co-owner Chris Dominey told Westword. “It is now becoming much more of a culinary destination than it has been over the years, and for us to have the opportunity to add to it was one of the greatest things of value that we saw when looking at this space.”

Other losses include the South Colorado Boulevard location of Hacienda Colorado (the once popular, locally grown Mexican chain still has outposts in Westminster and Wheat Ridge); Ian’s Pizza, which had been temporarily closed for months after a flood damaged the building; and Mama Lolita’s in Broomfield, which struggled in part because of closure of the nearby 1STBANK Center.

For diners hungry to try something new, options are plentiful. The long-awaited debut of Harvey Park Grille in the former Rosemary Cafe space was welcomed by neighbors excited to again have a local place for favorites like gyros and burgers. Jared Leonard, the owner of AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q, introduced a new steakhouse that also’s also using the AJ’s name.

There’s also a new sports bar, 5 on Lawrence, from the owner of Max Market, and a pair of new dumpling spots – a second Dumpling Kitchen on Colfax and a second Mason’s, which chose Lakewood for its expansion.

That’s not the only business that recently opted to open in the suburbs – a trend that’s likely to continue. More and more owners are looking outside of Denver city limits to areas where the cost to operate is lower. Both the newest Illegal Pete’s and the bagel-centric offshoot of Bakery Four, Rich Spirit, are now serving in Wheat Ridge’s Gold’s Marketplace; Great Divide’s second Roadhouse taproom and restaurant operated by Vibe Concepts is open in Lone Tree, which is also home to new Peruvian eatery the Red Llama; and King of Wings became the latest addition to Golden’s food scene, following in the steps of Fat Sully’s/Denver Biscuit Company and Blue Pan Pizza, which also recently added outposts there.

Even before the pandemic, the landscape of local bars and restaurants was ever-changing. Now, the ongoing operational challenges are bringing some big-name losses – with more to come. Sushi Rama, for example, just announced plans to shutter all but its RiNo outpost. But the scene is shifting in positive ways, too – especially for anyone living in the suburbs.

Here’s the full list of restaurants that opened and closed in February*:

February Openings

5 on Lawrence, 2020 Lawrence Street
AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q Steakhouse, 81 South Pennsylvania Street
The Blue Fish, 1607 Wewatta Street
Boychick, 2501 Dallas Street, Aurora
Chubby Fish Sushi, 10048 Grant Street, Thornton
Curry & Grill 2 Indian Nepali Cuisine, 1320 East 17th Avenue
Dumpling Kitchen, 5979 East Colfax Avenue
Great Divide Brewery & Roadhouse, 9878 Schwab Way, Lone Tree
The Green Collective, 1058 South Gaylord Street
Harvey Park Grille, 2133 South Sheridan Boulevard
Heartbreak Kid, 5126 East Colfax Avenue
Hong Kong Station 2Go, 6460 East Yale Avenue
Incantation Brewing, 4233 South Buckley Road, Aurora
Illegal Pete’s, 10009 West 26th Avenue, Wheat Ridge
King of Wings Tap + Tequila, 1100 Arapahoe Street, Golden
La Hotpot and BBQ, 4775 Kipling Sreet, Wheat Ridge
Mason’s Dumpling Shop, 6981 West Alaska Drive, Lakewood
Mochinut, 7530 S University Blvd, Littleton
The Molecule Effect, 2215 South Broadway
MoonRise Garden Bar & Food Truck Park, 6875 West 38th Avenue, Wheat Ridge
Play Ball Sports Bar & Grill, 2121 South Sheridan Boulevard
The Red Llama, 8331 Willow Street, Lone Tree
Rich Spirit Bagels, 10081 West 26th Avenue, Wheat Ridge
Rhapsody, 24 Broadway
Ruzo Coffee, 3980 Broadway, Boulder
Santo Remedio, 3900 Tennyson Street
Sweetgreen, 3985 Tennyson Street
Tacos La Tapatia, 4880 North Havana Way
Ukiyo, 1317 14th Street
Yampa Sandwich Co., 10445 Town Center Drive, Westminster
Zymos Brewing, 5180 South Lowell Boulevard, Littleton

February Closures

Ana’s Norwegian Bakeri, 6770 South Yosemite Street, Centennial, and 918 16th Street Mall
Avelina, 1550 17th Street
El Mercado, 1432 Market Street
Hacienda, 4100 East Mexico Avenue
Ian’s Pizza, 2210 Blake Street
Il Posto, 2601 Larimer Street
Jade Mountain Brewing, 4233 South Buckley Road, Aurora
Lady Justice Brewing, 9735 East Colfax (moving to 3242 South Acoma Street, Englewood)
Mama Lolita’s, 8181 Arista Place, Broomfield
New Saigon, 630 South Federal Avenue
Tacos Tequila Whiskey, 1514 York Street
Tavern Lowry, 7401 East First Avenue
Three Saints Revival, 1801 Wewatta Street

*Or earlier and not previously reported.

Know of something we missed? Email cafe@westword.com.