- Local
- Community
- Journalism
Support the independent voice of Denver and help keep the future of Westword free.
The murals covering the walls at The Sink on the Hill in Boulder are as iconic as the many signatures of University of Colorado students scrawled on the ceiling. But while these lively murals will live on, their creator, Llloyd Kavich, has passed away.
See also Photos: Obama wins as many votes by visiting The Sink as talking at CU-Boulder
The Sink is a Boulder institution that has existed in one form or another for the past ninety years. For a brief period in the '80s, it was Herbie's Deli, but otherwise it's been a local watering hole dedicated to serving pizza, burgers and beer to hungry students and Boulder residents alike.
The Sink has also hosted President Barack Obama, Anthony Bourdain, Guy Fieri (their signatures are displayed along with thousands of others) and Robert Redford, who worked there while attending CU and is immortalized in the murals.
Kavich created the murals in 1952, then came back in 1989 to repair the ones that had been covered up during the deli era; he also painted some new ones when the Sink was remodeled in 1995.
The Sink isn't the only restaurant in the area with great murals -- although its paintings are certainly among the oldest. The painted benches at the British Bulldog (formerly the Punch Bowl) are definitely older. What other memorable restaurant murals can you think of? Post your suggestions below.
Follow @CafeWestword
Keep Westword Free... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Denver with no paywalls.
