Eleven spots shuttered in the first week of 2023, but not all of them are gone for good. Hop Alley, restaurateur Tommy Lee's buzzy Chinese eatery in RiNo, is closed temporarily for an expansion; Lee expects to reopen in early February. Bistro Vendôme may be out at Larimer Square, but it will move into a new home in the former Tables space in Park Hill next month.
While one Pizzeria Locale opened this week, the original in Boulder, which was the only outpost not part of a 2014 partnership with Chipotle, is taking a short break as it rebrands as Pizzeria Alberico, which will debut in February. A note on the door of Emperor Palace in Broomfield announces that it has closed, but a former owner may be coming back to reopen the dim sum spot. And the Edgewater Inn, which closed in late December, reopened this week under new owners.
There will be no comebacks for the rest, though, including City Cafe at Eighth and Lincoln; the block is set for redevelopment into an eighteen-story apartment complex.
After shuttering temporarily last August, Ryan Cobbins announced that he will not be reopening the twelve-year-old Coffee at the Point. Several factors went into the decision, including minimum wage increases and a legal battle with former business partner Matthew Burkett, who was once held up as a savior of Five Points before business operators, including Cobbins, went public with accusations that he was hurting, not helping Five Points with his tactics.
And as announced late last year, Epic Brewing officially closed as the RiNo beer scene continues to change.
The impending end of Green Russell and Russell's Smokehouse in Larimer Square had been announced last fall, too, but the Bonanno Concepts restaurant group also quietly closed up shop at Lou's Food Bar. Its website says that "something new is coming." Bonanno and company are also engineering the return of El Rancho in Evergreen, in a partnership with the new owners.
ND Street Bar, which was formerly called Next Door American Eatery and began as a fast-casual spinoff of the Kitchen, shuttered its Union Station and Fort Collins locations after co-owner Kimball Musk (yes, he's the brother of Elon) stepped away from the brand. Outposts in Boulder and Central Park remain open.
On East Colfax, the building that was the longtime home of Solera is vacant once again. Street Feud, a fast-casual global street-food concept, occupied that space for just over a year and closed January 1. It faced a lot of challenges in its short life, including a recent health scare for chef/owner Merlin Verrier that resulted in emergency, life-saving surgery.
But there's good news, too. On January 6, Wayne's Smoke Shack in Superior made a triumphant return. In December 2021, owners Wayne and Sam Shelnutt's home was lost in the Marshall Fire, and their business suffered serious smoke damage. Now it's back to serving up some of the best ’cue in the state, though it will only be open on Fridays and Saturdays as the Shelnutts work on another project: building a farm.
El Chingon is back, as well. Over a year after leaving its location on Tennyson Street, it's moved to LoHi (and has an airport location in the works, too).
On South Broadway, the former 4G's reopened as Chula. "It is the same owner, same great staff, same menu, but added more traditional items. Just a different name due to our divorce," says owner Myrna Diaz.
Farmers' market favorite La Esmerelda Tamale House added a storefront in Longmont. Nearby in Boulder, Stella's Cucina debuted. Growing up, owner Stella Spanu split her time between Rome and New York City, while head chef Filippo Piccini was born and raised in Saturnia in Tuscany, making for a powerhouse Italian duo.
Just in time for the National Western Stock Show, butcher shop Western Daughters opened a new cafe at the CSU Spur campus, where it's serving up nourishing bowls for breakfast and lunch plus happy hour beer, wine and cocktails.
Rounding out the week's openings are Bitcoin Grill, a kosher restaurant in Glendale that was funded by cryptocurrency; the Crow's Nest, a new bar above the Tennyson location of South Broadway Country Club; Status Ultra Lounge, which took over the former Vesta space; and the first brewery opening of the year, Kodiac Brewery Bar & Grill in Centennial.
In other openings-and-closings news:
- Take a look back at every restaurant and bar that opened and closed in 2022.
- The owners of Local 46 are taking over the Edgewater Inn and plan to reopen it soon.
Restaurants and bars opening this week:*
Bitcoin Grill, 970 South Oneida Street
Chula, 3866 South Broadway, Englewood
The Crow's Nest, 4200 Tennyson Street
El Chingon Bistro, 1691 Central Street
Kodiac Brewery Bar & Grill, 7685 East Arapahoe Road, Centennial
La Esmeralda Tamale House, 1801 Hover Street, Longmont
Pizzeria Locale, 8575 East Arapahoe Road, Greenwood Village
Status Ultra Lounge, 1822 Blake Street
Stella's Cucina, 1123 Walnut Street, Boulder
Western Daughters Kitchen, 4617 National Western Drive
Restaurants and bars reopening this week:*
Edgewater Inn, 5302 West 25th Avenue
Wayne's Smoke Shack, 406 Center Drive, Superior
Restaurants and bars closings this week:*
Bistro Vendôme, 1420 Larimer Street
City Cafe, 726 Lincoln Street
Coffee at the Point, 710 East 26th Avenue
Emperor Palace, 6700 West 120th Avenue, Broomfield
Epic Brewing, 3001 Walnut Street
Green Russell, 1422 Larimer Street
Lou's Food Bar, 710 Grant Street
ND Street Bar, 1700 Wynkoop Street, and 100 North College Avenue, Fort Collins
Pizzeria Locale, 1730 Pearl Street, Boulder
Russell's Smokehouse, 1422 Larimer Street
Street Feud, 5410 East Colfax Avenue
Restaurants and bars closing temporarily this week:*
Hop Alley, 3500 Larimer Street
*Or earlier and not previously reported.
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