Since then, the Lower Downtown Historic District has seen a lot of changes, especially with the advent of Coors Field in 1995, the major remodel of Union Station completed in 2014, and again during the pandemic, which emptied office buildings in the neighborhood and left many wondering when — and if — the area would make a comeback.
Now, with the return of tourism, the tenth anniversary of Union Station's makeover and the end-in-sight revamp of the 16th Street Mall, LoDo is once again poised for a new era.
As the area looks toward the future, we spoke with some of the bars and restaurants that have been staples in the neighborhood for decades.
Westword: When did your business open in LoDo, and how would you describe it?
Alessandro Carollo, proprietor of Venice Restaurant Group: November 2004. We do authentic Italian food. Believe it or not, we've been doing almost the same menu for twenty years. We change the menu every six months — we change up the presentation here and there, we add ingredients — but every time, we keep 80 percent of the original menu. People love our food for what we do and the way we do it. It's not a modern Italian restaurant; it's authentic with a touch of modern.
Beth Gruitch, proprietor of Crafted Concepts, which includes Rioja on Larimer Square: Our alley is actually the border of LoDo. We opened in November 2004, so we're coming up on our twentieth anniversary, which is super cool. From day one, I've always told people that we wanted to feel warm and welcoming and we wanted the staff to be friendly. ... We're very seasonal, we're very ingredient-driven. Although our flavors tend to be in the Mediterranean, we do outreach to a couple other places once in a while. But we do try and do local, and sustainability is high on our list.
Dave Query, co-owner and founder of Big Red F Restaurant Group, which includes Jax Fish House LoDo: Jax is an East/South/West Coast-inspired fish house in a building on the corner of 17th and Wazee that Jack Kerouac lived in and Tom Waits sang about, and that I bought in the summer of 1996.
Lee Driscoll, CEO of Breckenridge-Wynkoop, LLC, which includes Wynkoop Brewing Company: Wynkoop was the first brewpub in Colorado and has been serving fresh and unique craft beer brewed on site since 1988. The food at Wynkoop is perfectly befitting of a Colorado brewpub. It is flavorful, fulfilling, reasonably priced and pairs well with our beers. Our goal is to appeal to people who want an authentic local drinking and dining experience.
Justyn Brogan, general manager of the Cruise Room and Urban Farmer: The Cruise Room was the first bar to open in Denver when Prohibition ended in December 1933. It was designed in a similar fashion to the bar on the RMS Queen Mary, with a wine bottle-shaped layout. ... The distinct red-hue ambience and Art Deco panels have become a staple in the cocktail scene, while the marble floor, vintage jukebox and hand-carved panels that depict different ways to say “cheers” from around the world are a few of the original details found in this space.
What changes have you seen in the neighborhood since opening?
Carollo: The last three years have been the busiest since we opened. Venice LoDo was there before Union Station was done, during the Union Station remodeling — and now with so many people that moved to Denver during the pandemic, we have doubled the business since we opened. Plus, with the train coming from the airport directly to Union Station, they get out of the station and we are there, right in front of them.
Gruitch: In twenty years, it's crazy. Visit Denver has done an amazing job getting conventions here and really assisting with all the businesses and the publicity of putting Denver on the map...but we've seen some ebbs and flows in downtown. COVID was rough. It hurt our lunch, it hurt our happy hour, it just hurt business in general.
Query: When we first opened, there were very few restaurants in LoDo. Union Station was dangerous. Wynkoop Brewery, Morton's and the Wazee Supper Club were it. There were lots of galleries, clothing and other stores, much more of a diverse retail vibe. Coors Field and Elitch's had just opened the year before, the Pepsi Center and the aquarium were still three years off, and there was one hotel in the area — the Oxford. LoDo had a completely different vibe.
Driscoll: When the Wynkoop opened, LoDo was a run-down neighborhood filled with empty buildings and was not very safe. It boomed in the early ’90s and became the incredibly vibrant neighborhood it is today. Of course, there were a number of downturns during difficult economic times, especially during COVID.
What is the current atmosphere like in the area?
Carollo: Booming. But we did stop doing lunch service to focus on dinner.
Gruitch: It feels pretty good. It feels clean, it feels safe. ... There's just less daytime population down here right now, and we're still waiting for all of that to come back. I'd really love to see the city buildings five days a week in the office, and I don't know if that's ever going to happen. But now the 16th Street Mall is finally getting done — and I say finally because I sat on the board of the Downtown Denver Partnership, and we talked about it for eight years, so I'm like, yes, it's finally happening.
Query: COVID changed everything for everybody everywhere, and that includes LoDo. The city has not managed traffic and flow in the neighborhood well, and has made it harder for folks to navigate.
Driscoll: It feels like LoDo, particularly the area around Union Station, is poised for a resurgence, especially if the neighborhood can get behind making LoDo a much more pedestrian-friendly place. My impression is that the current atmosphere is hopeful, but there seems to be a clear realization that the orientation of businesses in LoDo will have to evolve to meet the likely long-term challenge presented by lower office occupancy.
The Cruise Room still serves pre-Prohibition staples such as the Sazerac and the Manhattan.
The Cruise Room
Carollo: All the celebrities that have been coming to the Venice downtown. Andrea Bocelli, Bruce Springsteen, Celine Dion, the Avalanche players. And downtown gets a younger, more energetic crowd [than the Venice in Greenwood Village]. I like to be downtown because I see new people a lot.
Gruitch: I love being downtown. Rioja is so close to everything — the theater, all the events that go on in the parks, Ball Arena. All of those things bring so much energy.
Query: What makes it challenging makes it fun and interesting, as well. It has a frenetic pace. Always lots of people. Now many more hotels, and Union Station being the draw — it's one block away from Jax. LoDo has been the North Star for other cities trying to revitalize their core, downtown, train/transportation station areas.
Driscoll: Many things — the vibrancy of the neighborhood, the diverse group of visitors and residents. My personal favorite is the beautiful buildings that have so much history through all the booms and busts that have taken place in Denver. I like to imagine what it would have been like living in LoDo during those very different times, and how it will evolve in the future.
Brogan: LoDo has always been the heart of downtown Denver. It's a welcoming destination for locals, downtown workers and visitors, many of whom take the train directly from DIA to Union Station. Several members of the Oxford valet staff are known as the “mayors” of LoDo; they are familiar faces who always greet you with a smile, ready to welcome folks to the Oxford, help with directions or give advice on where to find local favorites.
What are you looking forward to in future years in the neighborhood?
Carollo: Two years ago, I signed a new lease for ten years — so I have another eight years with an option for another ten years. I think if they keep doing the projects they're doing right now, I think LoDo will attract even more tourists. I've been there for twenty years, and in the last three years, I've never seen so many tourists coming from Union Station or just walking, because, you know, Denver is a beautiful city — especially in the summer.
Gruitch: I really think downtown is on an upswing.
Query: Higher occupancy rates for office spaces. More supervision of the sometimes-chaos that takes place. More and easier integration from all the really great surrounding residential neighborhoods that have proliferated in the surrounding lower downtown area, making parking really easy and the connection to these neighborhoods smart and simple.
Driscoll: I hope Union Station will continue to thrive and become much like a popular European square and truly become the epicenter of LoDo. I look forward to seeing LoDo as a vibrant pedestrian-oriented neighborhood that is a “must” experience for visitors from out of town.
What advice would you give new businesses opening in LoDo?
Carollo: You've got to hire very personable employees in the front of the house. You've got to engage and entertain people. You've got to create that connection that will bring that customer back.
Gruitch: Things operate differently downtown than in a neighborhood. You have to be cognizant of even recycling and compost and the alleys — how they're managed and how they're kept clean. If you're going to work down here, are you going to bike to work? Are you going to pay for parking? All of those things you don't have to think about in a neighborhood. You have to do a little more planning when you come downtown to make it easiest for your guests.
Query: Get on down here! Bring your big brain and some cash and make this area even better than it already is. Smart businesses, retail and commerce invited!
Driscoll: For those in the food and beverage industry, I would recommend that they focus on the evening business and make sure that it is sufficient to sustain their business. I hope that the business lunch will come back, but I would not rely on it.
Brogan: New businesses should embrace the wide variety of events happening downtown and focus on building strong relationships with both residents and local businesses.
Editor's note: Interviews have been edited for length and clarity.
