Dine Out for Chef Amos Watts, Owner of the Fifth String Who Passed Away in April

In April, the local culinary community lost a beloved member when chef Amos Watts passed away suddenly, just weeks before he was set to open the new location of his restaurant the Fifth String, which had operated in LoHi since 2020, when it took over the former Old Major space, then in a temporary home on Larimer Street.

After closing both locations, Watts was excited to move into a new neighborhood, securing the lease for 1490 Eudora Street, just off East Colfax Avenue and right by Benzina. But in the aftermath of his unexpected death, his survivors have been left in a tight spot financially.

Now the family's goal is to find a restaurant operator to take over the lease for the space, which is about $50,000 to $100,000 away from being able to open and is already outfitted with equipment, furniture and a liquor license.

In order to support Watts's wife, Jessica, and their two children, Sloan and Loren, while the family works through the details of the restaurant deal, a group of industry professionals have come together to create Dine Out for Amos Watts.

On August 7, restaurants will donate a portion of sales to the Watts family. So far, over twenty restaurants have signed up, with the hope that more will join by filling out the online form.

The offers are totally up to each restaurant's discretion. Some are donating a portion of overall sales, while others are highlighting a dedicated dish or cocktail.
A5 Steakhouse, for example, will donate 100 percent of the proceeds from its A5 striploin. "Amos was a great chef and an even better person," says chef Max MacKissock, chief culinary officer at the Culinary Creative Group, which includes A5 as well as Señor Bear and Ash'Kara, neighbors of the Fifth String's original home. "We were always acquaintances, but became much closer when he moved in across the street at the Fifth String. I could hear his infamous laugh when I walked outside. His passing was a terrible tragedy, and we are honored to dedicate the night to raising some money to help his family."

Kawa Ni, which opened late last year, will contribute 100 percent of the proceeds from sales of its Szechuan dumplings and Maya Bae cocktail. "I didn't know chef Amos, but from the stories I have heard, I really wish I did," says Kawa Ni owner Bill Taibe. "It's always meaningful for our community to come together to help a fellow chef and an industry member. We are all the same people. My hope is this might, in some small way, bring comfort to his wife and kids. We truly feel lucky to be a part of it."

Here's the complete list of restaurants participating in Dine Out for Amos Watts on Wednesday, August 7:

BrecFast, Breckenridge: 5 percent of sales
Jax Fish House (all five locations): 10 percent of sales
Sap Sua: 25 percent of sales
Point Easy: Proceeds from dedicated cocktail (TBD)
Alma Fonda Fina: 5 percent of sales
The Regular: All revenue from Lazy Acre Ranch products (steak tartare, filet and ribeye)
Coperta: 10 percent of sales
Leven Deli & Co: 10 percent of sales
Rioja: 100 percent of the proceeds from the Wildflower Fusion cocktail
The Post Chicken and Beer: 10 percent of sales
Odie B's: $500 donation
A5: 100 percent of the proceeds from A5 striploin
Restaurant Olivia: 100 percent of the proceeds from French onion ravioli
Brider: 10 percent of sales
Steuben's: 10 percent of sales
Annette: 100% of the proceeds from grilled greens beans and roasted tomatoes
Traveling Mercies: 100% of the proceeds from the citrus marigold gin and tonic
Westbound and Down: TBD
Culinary Creative Group: Dedicated cocktail (TBD)
Fruition: TBD
Molotov KItchen + Cocktails: 100 percent of the proceeds from elk tartare
Mercantile: TBD
Blackbelly: 100 percent of the sales from a featured dish (TBD)
Santo: 100 percent of the sales from a featured cocktail (TBD)
Kawa Ni: 100 percent of the proceeds from sales of Szechuan dumplings and Maya Bae cocktail.