City Cast Denver
🍽️ Why downtown restaurants keep closing
February 22, 2024
Good morning, Denver! It’s National Margarita Day! And it’s a downright shame we still don’t have a proper emoji for it 🍹 Scroll on for some Mile High marg deals 👇 Happy sippin’.
What's CITY Talking About?
🚲 E-Bike Rebates are Back!
Denver’s Climate Office is reopening applications for its wildly popular e-bike rebate program at 11 a.m. on Feb. 27. This year, the program has more funding for low-income residents and a streamlined application process. More than 15,000 people have applied for these vouchers since the program launched in 2022, so logging on at 11:05 a.m. might not cut it! [Denverite]
🍽️ Downtown Restaurants Closing
Avelina, Three Saints Revival, Ana’s Norwegian Bakeri, Ian’s Pizza – all four of these restaurants closed for good this week, leaving Denverites with that many fewer reasons to go downtown. The owners cited a variety of familiar issues, but each one highlighted the decrease in foot traffic since the pandemic. [Denver Post]
All you idiots running this town can do is raise the minimum wage, running small-business owners out of business. Cry me a river about your dinner reservations.
⛽ Buc-ees Has an Opening Date
The Texas-sized gas station slash superstore chain is set to open its first Colorado location right off I-25 in Johnstown on March 18. Store officials say it “will bring more than 200 new, permanent, full-time jobs to the area with starting pay beginning well above minimum wage, full benefits, a 6 percent matching 401k, and three weeks of paid vacation.” [Westword]
- Most anticipated eats of 2024: Buc-ees made our list. Wanna hear why? [City Cast Denver 🎧]
👃 Is North Denver’s Dog Food Smell a Health Concern?
In the past six months or so, odor complaints about the Purina pet food plant have been spiking. City officials say they don’t have good tools to measure the problem. The company seems open to talking about it. So what should be done? Reporter Trish Zornio dug into the science for today’s podcast. [City Cast Denver 🎧]
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What To Do
Thursday, Feb. 22
- 🌱 Free Day at the Gardens | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Free | Plains Conservation Center
- 🦋 Movement and Mindfulness | 5-6 p.m. | $40 | Butterfly Pavilion
- 🧶 Pint and Crochet Night | 6:30- 8 p.m. | $10 | Emporium Brewing Co
- 🥖 Challah Braiding | 7-8:30 p.m. | Free | Moishe House
- 🗻 Exploring Everest | 7-9 p.m. | $18 | DMNS
- 🎶 Festo Festo | 7-9:30 p.m. | $5-$15 | Jewish Community Center
Friday, Feb. 23
- 🌍 CO Environmental Film Festival | All Day | $15+ | Golden (and virtual)
- 🌳 Free Day at the Park | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Free | Four Mile Historic Park
- 🍪 Beer + Girl Scout Cookie Pairings | 2 p.m. | $16 per pairing | Fiction Beer Co
- 📚 Local Author Meet-and-Greet | 6 p.m. | Free | Tattered Cover on Colfax
- 🔴 Bingo Friday | 6-8 p.m. | Free | The Mansion on Colfax
- 💿 Vinyl Swap Party | 8 p.m. | $10 | Bar Standard
- 🎤 Comedy Night | 8 p.m. | Free | Stanley Marketplace
Saturday, Feb. 24
- 🌍 CO Environmental Film Festival | All Day | $15+ | Golden (and virtual)
- 🥕 Feed the City | 7:30-9 a.m. | Free | Lazy Dog Westminster
- 🥓 Beer, Bacon, & Coffee Fest | 8:30-11 a.m. | $60 | All DBC taprooms
- 🌱 Starting Your Garden from Seed | 9:30 a.m. | $37 | Denver Botanic Gardens
- 💘 Cupid’s Undie Run | Noon-4 p.m. | $45 | Stoney’s Bar and Grill
- 🎈 Family Fest | Noon-6 p.m. | $12+ | Convention Center
- 🍺 Mile High Beer Fest | 12:30-8 p.m. | $59+ | National Western
- 🎷 Jazz Roots | 1-7 p.m. | Free | Welton Street
- 🛼 Denver Roller Derby | 5-10 p.m. | $15 | Rollerdome
- 🎤 Couples Gamenight | 6-8 p.m. | $50 | Aurora
Today on City Cast
The Purina Plant Stinks! But Is It a Health Concern?
Purina has been manufacturing pet food in Elyria-Swansea for over 90 years. So why are odor complaints spiking now? Science reporter Trish Zornio is on the podcast today to talk about why bad smells are so hard to regulate and the murky health science of odor.
📧Email us: What do you think is the best — or worst! — smell in Denver??
That’s all for today! Know somebody who likes margaritas? Forward this newsletter to them and encourage them to subscribe for more tasty news bites everyday!
— Peyton Garcia
Free · Daily