The Velvet Cellar Will Open This Fall in the Former Squeaky Bean Space Near Union Station

"It's been a year now, and I've been chomping at the bit," says Todd Bobrovicz, executive chef of the Velvet Cellar, which plans to open at 1500 Wynkoop Street this fall. "Now to get in there and see all this work come together. ... I'm really excited. We're ready to rock and roll."

In 2012, the space became home to the second iteration of the Squeaky Bean, restaurateur Johnny Ballen's quirky seasonal eatery with a cult following. Ballen decided to close the Bean in 2017, and the next year, Italian eatery Chow Morso, from Barolo owner Ryan Fletter, moved in. When the pandemic hit, though, Chow Morso was one of the many spots that didn't make it through the challenges of 2020.

The space has sat empty since then, but now a pair of childhood friends from Alabama are ready to welcome guests there once again. Bobrovicz, who is originally from Oklahoma, connected with Velvet Cellar owners Reilly Chunn and Chris Dominey about a year ago and quickly got on board with their vision. "We're all three country boys, so it was like a match made in heaven," the chef recalls.

Bobrovicz has over twenty years of experience working in Denver's dining scene. His résumé includes helping to open the Corner Office in 2007 as well as stints at Mary Nguyen's now-closed Parallel 17, vegetarian eatery City, O' City, the Post's Rosedale location and Osteria Marco.
He's spent the past few years focusing on consulting, but now he's ready to get back into the kitchen. "We've all been working on building this brand, and now it's coming to fruition," he says.

Bobrovicz is focused on using local produce and meats as much as possible, and plans to change the succinct menu frequently. "We want to shed light on what Denver and Colorado have to offer," he says. He also plans to make fresh cheeses like burrata and ricotta in-house, and will add a curing program as well.

Diners can expect mainly small, tapas-like plates along with some salads, larger entrees and dessert, all inspired by cuisines from around the world. "We're going to pull from anywhere that produces wine," Bobrovicz says. "We're going to look at their culture, what they do there, and draw from that. ... We're going to be all over the board, but it's going to be approachable. We want to make the food sexy and make it taste really good — be appealing to the eyes and the palate."

The wine program itself is being headed up by Dominey, who is working toward the Level 4 Diploma in Wines from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). It will include 300 to 400 different labels, and there will also be a full cocktail program and beers available.

Most important, however, is that the project is a team effort, Bobrovicz says: "It's just gonna be a total functioning front- and back-of-the-house collaboration. Everyone in there is a part of what we're creating."

The Velvet Cellar will initially open for dinner only, but may add lunch and/or brunch in the future. Bobrovicz hopes the new addition will "breathe fresh life into downtown" and "be a destination" for those looking to escape for a glass of wine and a snack or a full-on meal. And he's confident that as a team, he and his crew can pull it off. "It's gonna be magical," he concludes.