LoDo’s recent loss of The Tavern Downtown, Cowboy Lounge, and Cook Street School at 1941 Market Street, has much of the community wondering what will happen to the sprawling 25,000-square-foot space that boasts a 10,000-square-foot rooftop. Well worry not, three new bar/restaurant concepts originating from California plan to reinvigorate LoDo.
Nationwide entertainment and hospitality group Knitting Factory Entertainment (KFE) and Los Angeles’ Buckhead Group announced today that they have partnered with San Francisco-based Fillmore Capital Partners to redevelop the spaces into three brand-new bar and restaurant concepts: El Tejano, Loaded, and Smash Face Brewery & Tap Room. These three concepts are tentatively scheduled to launch later in 2020.
Knitting Factory Entertainment is a national entity which comprises multiple concert venues, restaurants, bars, a hotel and a brewery; music and hospitality management agencies; record labels and media properties. The Buckhead Group are principally restaurant and bar operators with more than a half dozen venues across Los Angeles including wine bars, craft cocktail bars and more. Together, the two companies operate three El Tejanos and a bar/gastropub called The Thirsty Merchant in Los Angeles.
The team is bringing the best of the Southwest to Denver with the innovative yet traditional top-notch food, drink and games that made the original El Tejano in North Hollywood, CA, which opened in 2016, a bustling favorite.
The brick façade and industrial windows of the 1941 Market building in Denver are reminiscent of El Tejano’s original building in North Hollywood, which was an auto repair shop.
The location’s Smash Face Brewery & Tap Room will incorporate KFE’s learnings and expertise gleaned from its participation in Los Angeles Arts District Brewery BOOMTOWN, which opened three years ago come Super Bowl 2020. Smash Face Brewery and Tap Room will feature a local Denver brew master delivering craft brews, each bearing the name or inspiration from the many “smash faced,” dogs, such as “Pug Porter,” “Boxer Belgian,” “Shih Tzu Sour,” “Pekingese Pilsner,“ and, well, you get the idea — along with eclectic menu choices. The brewery plans on making regular donations to local canine shelters and rescues.
Finally, the team will launch Loaded, a beautifully brash, 80’s style rock and roll bar serving up cheap drinks, music theme nights and throwback vinyl, among other offerings. Altogether, the venues are expected to accommodate almost 600 guests.
“As with our other venues around the country, we’re coming to Denver to join the community,” says KFE CEO Morgan Margolis. “We hope to make all our hires, from line staff to management to the brew master, from the local community. We think there are tremendous opportunities in LoDo — one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods yet so close to Denver’s star attraction, Coors Field. Public/private partnerships have made the Ballpark area one of Denver’s key entertainment districts.”
“After the success we’ve enjoyed developing the El Tejano brand so far,” concludes Buckhead’s PJ Brill, “We had hoped for a while to expand the brand outside our home base of Los Angeles, and Denver seemed ideal for us to launch eastward. We are hoping everyone will love the bold designs, the great eating and drinking opportunities, games and of course, a great queso in Denver. We’re looking forward to bringing a new concept to the LoDo neighborhood that people may not have even known they wanted, but after one visit, they’ll wonder how they ever did without it.”
