Curtis Park Just Got Sweeter With the Opening of Thick's Gelato and Chocolates

John Hayden is a successful realtor specializing in Curtis Park and his partner, Keith Pryor, is an equally successful general contractor. But their new venture, the bright and welcoming Thick's Gelato and Chocolates at 3339 Downing Street, is all about community.

"We're right here where all these parts of town converge," says Hayden. "Curtis Park, Whittier, Cole, RiNo. ... We're glad to be convenient to so many."

"We really wanted to create a space where people from the neighborhoods could come out and interact with each other," adds Pryor. "People don't need to be siloed. They need to get off their phones. And they need to have a reason to do that, to inspire them to engage with each other. To experience the diversity that this neighborhood has always been about."

That diversity shows in the shop's gelato flavors, which are all hand-made on the premises. "We do our best to represent all the cultures that have been here in Curtis Park over the decades," says Pryor, pointing out the mango-sticky rice and matcha flavors that were made in honor of Lunar New Year. He says Thick's will roll out new seasonal flavors for holidays including six different gelatos, each in a different shade of green, for St. Patrick's Day.

Thick's is also catering to the dietary restrictions of its customers. Hayden, who is wheat-intolerant, inspired the decision to carry only gluten-free waffle cones. There are dairy-free and vegan options as well, and sugar-free options will be introduced in the near future.
But let's face it: Thick's is a place that embraces sweetness. "It's like our motto says, 'the dessert you deserve,'" Pryor says with a smile. "We want this to be both a special treat for the community as well as a place for families to be able to bring their kids on just any old night if they want some ice cream."

Thick's is currently open only Friday through Sunday but it's planning to expand its hours when it celebrates its grand opening in March.

Hayden and Pryor's initial idea was to open a neighborhood gelato place down the road, in a small storefront at 2558 Champa Street where Neal Cassady, progenitor of the Beats and pal of Jack Kerouac, once lived. "We bought that little place because a friend of ours had purchased the house on the corner next to it and he didn't have any use for it. He asked me if I knew anyone who might want it," Hayden recalls, "and we were immediately like, we do! We want it! We knew we wanted to do something with it to preserve the beat generation history of the place, for the city and the neighborhood and the legacy of it all."

Hayden says he and Pryor were kicking around ideas for how to use that relatively small space. It had been a business addition to the house next door back when one of the main trolley lines used to run right up and down Champa Street. By the time Cassady lived there (possibly in a shanty-built lean-to on the back of the shop, which Cassady wrote about in his book The First Third), it was a barbershop. "We thought about a gelato shop because we just couldn't find anywhere nearby where we could get good quality gelato like we'd had in other places. So we got started. ... And then those plans got delayed by a number of things," Hayden notes.

"Like the city," Pryor interrupts, smiling.

"Yes," Hayden admits, "the city permitting has been...interesting."

"Interesting is a kind word for it," laughs Pryor, explaining the challenges of trying to renovate a non-conforming building in a historic district while also reverting to original zoning and dealing with construction challenges — and the pandemic. "We got our zoning approved right before COVID hit, and everything shut down."

But their eyes still shine with excitement when they talk about that project, which they're still planning to open as a gelato shop with a Beat-generation theme. "We're calling it Cassady's," Hayden says. "We talked with Cassady's son and daughter to make sure it was okay for us to use the name and they were thrilled."

In fact, they'd already been planning something to mark Neal Cassady's 100th birthday this year, including prepping some of their mother, Carolyn Cassady's, art for a show. "She was an amazing artist — she and Neal met here in Denver when she was studying at the DU art school," Hayden notes. "She did these fantastic drawings and paintings of Neal and Jack and Allen Ginsburg and William Burroughs. So we're hoping when we open this summer, we can do that featuring some of her paintings. They're just spectacular."
The plan is for Thick's to be its own thing and for it to provide the gelato for Cassady's when it opens. Hayden and Pryor believe that the shop, located on the sharp corner of Curtis and Downing Streets, a short block down from Lou's Italian Specialties, is in the perfect place for the neighborhoods as they grow together.

There's new multi-use construction up the street that's set to become a grocery store to replace the Downing Supermarket that closed in late 2019. That space is currently sitting empty, offering an opportunity for either new business or redevelopment.

"We're excited to be here," Pryor concludes. "Life's just a smorgasbord. We're so lucky to get to open this place, share it with our neighbors, and celebrate the diversity that's all around us."

Thick's Gelato and Chocolates is located at 3339 Downing Street and is currently open from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit thickschocolate.com.