King of Wings Opening Golden Location on Friday

"We're beyond excited. We can't wait to introduce ourselves to the town of Golden," says Eddie Renshaw, co-owner of King of Wings, which will debut its second location on Friday, February 16, at 1100 Arapahoe Street in Golden.

Renshaw started the business as a food truck with his friend Evan Pierce. In the summer of 2020, the two debuted their first brick-and-mortar in Wheat Ridge, drawing big crowds for their grilled wings, hand-breaded tenders and impressive tap list. But in late 2021, a kitchen fire put the business on pause.

As they worked to rebuild, they kept King of Wings afloat by launching Snipeburger, a smashburger pop-up. The restaurant was finally able to fully reopen last March, and now its long-awaited expansion is happening. "We signed the lease over a year ago. We didn't expect for it to take this long," Renshaw says. "It's always something, but we made it through. I'm getting goosebumps talking about it — it's finally here."

The new space, which was formerly the home of Colorado Plus Cidery & Pub, is nearly twice as big as the original King of Wings in Wheat Ridge, but Renshaw promises it will have "the same vibes inside, with the garage doors that open and this beautiful scenery —  it's kind of epic."

While King of Wings in Wheat Ridge serves only beer, the Golden location, dubbed King of Wings Tap + Tequila, has a full tavern license and will be pouring a variety of agave spirits. "Wings and tequila are two of our favorite things," Renshaw notes. So you can expect margaritas, high-end tequilas and mezcal, though beer will still be a focus; the bar is outfitted with 29 taps.

Another major difference between the two locations is the back-of-house setup. "In Wheat Ridge, we have a shipping container that's our kitchen. Here, it's an actual kitchen," Renshaw says. "We're still learning. There's a whole new system in this kitchen."
After they settle in, the plan is to bring Snipeburger back one day every week this spring, but only in Golden. "We're gonna do it official," Renshaw shares. "We're gonna buy a big flattop, and then we'll figure out the next steps after that with Snipe. For now, our focus is on King of Wings in Golden."

This is the latest successful metro business to choose Golden for its expansion; both Blue Pan and Atomic Cowboy/Fat Sully's/Denver Biscuit Company have opened locations there in the past few months. Renshaw is particularly excited by the amount of foot traffic he expects to see in the suburb: The King of Wings space is just a block from Clear Creek, a popular tubing destination in the summer.

Hours will be limited to start, though unlike in Wheat Ridge, the Golden location will be open for lunch. "The plan is to open up more days as we get more staff," Renshaw says. "Part of the reason we're able to do this is because we have a great staff, including in Wheat Ridge holding down that spot. We really couldn't do this without everybody we have — having people that treat the business like it's theirs, it's a special feeling."

King of Wings Tap + Tequila is located at 1100 Arapahoe Street in Golden and will be open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday starting February 16. For more information, visit kingofwingstaphouse.com.