Beer, Bowling, Bikes and Burgers Combine at This New Addition to Wheat Ridge

Paul Porter has made a career of fixing chain restaurants and entertainment venues. Now he's starting up what he hopes to be the next major food and beverage destination, the Werks. "Bikes, beers, burgers and bowling" is how Porter describes the venture, which combines his passion for and experience in the food, beverage and entertainment industries.

The Werks is located in Gold's Marketplace, 2625 Kipling Street in Wheat Ridge, which is also home to outposts of Illegal Pete's and Esters as well as Rich Spirit, the bagel joint from the owners of Bakery Four.

The space had been slated to become Live Slow Brewing, a project that had been in the works since 2022 until that business was evicted in April after Live Slow's primary owner, Grant Babb, was sued by his former employer, Joyride Brewing, which alleged that he made unauthorized and improper decisions with over a million dollars of its funds when he was the company's manager.

The space has a capacity of around 245 people — roughly 145 inside and 100 people on the outdoor patio, which is being fully renovated for the spring. It will be decked out with high-end cabanas, fire heaters, a full outdoor bar and wiring for sound so it can host live music.

The Werks food menu includes local ingredients such as Boulder Valley beef, baked goods from Harvest Moon and produce from Larkspur. The menu offers burgers, flatbreads, chicken, salads and a wide range of appetizers and desserts. "Our secret sauce is to have craveable flavors, memorable experiences and Instagrammable moments," says Porter. Soon, he plans to unveil a new menu item. "Tableside nachos that come out in a skillet," he says, comparing it to the sizzling fajitas that are popular at many restaurants.
The space will also feature a retail bike shop focused on electric bicycles. "I've been riding bikes all my life," Porter notes. All new bike purchases will come with six months of maintenance at the on-site bike shop, which will also provide basic services to any customers including flat tire changes and adjustments. "You can drop your bike off and have a burger while we get you back on the road," says Porter, comparing it to the bike equivalent of a Jiffy Lube.

Bowling became a focal point for the business because of the existing six lanes in the space. The lanes don't intimidate Porter, who spent years managing Summit Entertainment Centers, where bowling is a primary activity. Through that experience, he built relationships with big bowling brands like Brunswick and is familiar with the ins and outs of the insurance and maintenance side of that business.

Jake Bornhop, whom Porter worked with at Dave & Buster's for years, is the general manager of the space. Several other members of the team, including the head chef, have worked with Porter in the past at Dave & Buster's, Summit and TGI Friday's.

At Summit, Porter says he grew to understand the value of workplace culture and considered its owner, Don MacBrayne, his mentor. Porter has dedicated the name of the bowling lanes to MacBrayne, who recently passed away, with a glowing neon sign. When faced with tough decisions during the buildout of the Werks, Porter says he'd ask himself, "What would Don MacBrayne do?"
Porter was originally negotiating to take the concept to Boulder, but the back-and-forth on the lease was taking a while, so he asked his realtor to keep looking around. Through a family friend, he found out about the Live Slow project falling apart, so he paid a visit and instantly saw the potential. "That night [I saw the space], the letter of intent went out," he recalls.

In the end, the plans for the Boulder space did come together. "Two days after the Wheat Ridge space, my realtor calls me and tells me that they've accepted all of our terms [in Boulder]," says Porter.

Construction in the Boulder space is getting started now, and Porter feels confident that everything will be running smoothly under Bornhop in Wheat Ridge by the time the second location is ready to open next summer or fall, with more to follow. "My plan is pretty aggressive. The strategy is to get to ten [locations] in ten years," he notes.

Because the space was originally designed to showcase a brewery, Porter wanted to take advantage of the on-site equipment, which includes a brand-new twenty-barrel brewhouse. While he has experience in many facets of the restaurant and entertainment industries, Porter has never operated a brewery, so he started looking for a partner.
Banded Oak's Chris Kirk and Will Curtin were interested right away, and together they're launching Paramount Beerwerks. The duo is hoping to begin brewing in mid-January. The name is an ode to Paramount Bowl, which originally occupied the Wheat Ridge space seventy years ago. Kirk says he even had a childhood birthday party at the bowling alley.

Paramount Beerwerks plans to have sixteen beers on draft at the Werks, with canned distribution to follow. For now, there are Banded Oak beers on the draft lines as well as guest beers.

The team met with Joyride co-owner Dave Bergen to share the plans for the Werks and Paramount Brewing, and to make sure there was no bad blood after what happened with Babb and Live Slow.

Given that the very first beer tapped was Joyride's Veritable Riot, a pre-Prohibition style American pilsner, the community seems to be embracing the Werks and Paramount Beerwerks as a breath of fresh air in a space that was unoccupied for so long.

The Werks is located at 2625 Kipling Street and is open from 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Its holiday hours are 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on New Year's Eve and 11 a.m. to midnight on New Year's Day. For more information, visit thewerkscolorado.com.