After nearly a decade at 950 Broadway, Tony's Market is pulling out of downtown for a new home in south Denver. The company, headed by CEO/president Daniel Rosacci (son of founder Tony Rosacci), will close up shop on Broadway on December 31 and open in the late spring or early summer of 2018 in a new market hall in the Happy Canyon shopping center.

"It's the right business decision, and I'm really excited about the changes we're planning for our customers and our team," says Rosacci.

The new project, at 4960 East Hampden Avenue, will be called Happy Canyon Wine & Market (not to be confused with the Castle Rock outpost of Tony's, which happens to be on an unrelated Happy Canyon Road). Tony's will be the main central presence of the space, along with a large wine and liquor store. Rosacci explains that the rest of the market hall, operated by GDA Real Estate Services, will house several counter-service food vendors around the perimeter, along with enough indoor and outdoor seating for more than 250 shoppers to sit down for a meal. Those vendors haven't all signed leases yet but could include pizza, a bakery and ice cream, for example. But unlike the current Tony's on Broadway, the restaurant portion of the market will all be run by separate owners, allowing Tony's to focus on its butcher and seafood counters, a chef's counter with pre-made foods and a condensed grocery selection that the company is calling "the best of Tony's."

"Tony's has always been known for innovation and uniqueness, so we're excited to offer our customers a brand-new experience, especially during our 40th anniversary year," Rosacci added in a statement.

Tony's was founded in 1978 as little more than a neighborhood butcher shop at 4991 East Dry Creek Road in what is now Centennial. The company has grown into a small chain of four specialty grocery stores mostly in the southern suburbs, so the move to Happy Canyon will bring the fourth location closer to corporate headquarters.