☕ Beloved local coffee shop ‘priced out’ of Denver

🛻 New Law Targets Predatory Towing

Following previous attempts by legislators and the state attorney general to end the practice of predatory towing, a new law going into effect this week takes aim specifically at one of the most notorious local towing companies in the state. [City Cast Denver 🎧]

☕ Mutiny Info Cafe Makes a Big Move

After more than a decade tucked away on a cozy little street corner along South Broadway, Mutiny Information Cafe — a beloved local purveyor of secondhand literature, live entertainment, and locally roasted coffee — shared the unexpected announcement that it will be relocating to downtown Englewood at the end of next month. In an Instagram post, the owners shared they’re being “priced out” of their current location. [@mutinyinfocafe / Instagram]

👀 Evictions, Migrants, and a Venezuelan Gang

Aurora city officials are condemning a 99-unit apartment complex, claiming neglect and code violations by the building’s owner. The owner, on the other hand, argues that police have failed to tamp down violence and growing gang activity on the property. Caught in the middle are the roughly 200 residents being evicted — largely Venezuelan migrants — with nowhere to go. [Westword]

• What’s really going on? Representatives from the building’s management company assert the code violations are a scapegoat so the city can take attention away from the recent local presence of a notorious Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua.

🏙️ Major Downtown Employer Shares Plans to Leave

TIAA, one of the most prominent financial firms in the nation, announced plans to close its Denver corporate center over the next two years and relocate to Frisco, Texas, effectively eliminating some 1,000 Denver jobs by 2026. [CPR]

The Denver dining scene can sometimes feel like a revolving door with new restaurants/bars in and right back out out before you even have a chance to Google their menu. It can be dizzying to keep up with, and we don’t want you to miss a single meal. Here’s the latest 👇

4 New Spots We’re Excited About

🥩 Carne | 2601 Larimer St. (Five Points)

Now Open

Award-winning chef Dana Rodriguez (of Work & Class and Casa Bonita fame) has transformed the former Five Points Il Posto space into a sleek, sexy, 1970s-inspired steakhouse — shag carpet and all. The food menu, which spotlights signature meats from around the world, offers a range of prices. The bar offers twists on the classics, martinis “for the table,” and a wine wall.

🍝 Osteria Alberico | 3455 S. University Blvd. (Englewood)

Now Open

This no-frills approach to simple, high-quality Italian food is a surprising, but welcome, new venture from the famed Frasca Hospitality Group out of Boulder. Think tuna crudo with fresh celery leaves and lemon olive oil, or lamb chops with a simple side of dressed arugula. The focus here is less on complex ingenuity, and instead letting beautiful ingredients speak for themselves.

🥂 The Hampton Social | 2501 16th St. (LoHi)

Now Open

Chicago-based Parker Hospitality made its Colorado debut last month with its 12th outpost of the popular coastal-inspired Hampton Social. Taking over the expansive space that housed Ale House two years ago, the new LoHi restaurant boasts an enclosed rooftop terrace offering views of the city as well as the mountains and beautiful beachy Insta-worthy interior aesthetics. I’ll be ordering the Manhattan-style lobster roll for lunch and the honey-glazed salmon for dinner.

🍕 Beau Jo’s | 2110 S. University Blvd. (University Park)

Now Open

The pizza purveyor that has been dishing up “Colorado-style Mountain Pies” for more than 50 years is bringing its famous honey-drenched hand-rolled crusts back to Denver since they closed their Colorado Boulevard location in 2017. This marks the cult-followed local pizza chain’s sevention location.

3 Old Standbys We’re Sad to See Go

🍰 D Bar | 494 E. 19th Ave. (North Cap Hill)

Closed

Bad news: D Bar, the go-to late-night haven for Denverites with a sweet tooth, permanently closed its Uptown outpost last weekend. The owners reported “it’s just not financially viable” anymore. Good news: Their Central Park location will remain open, and a DIA offshoot is planned for the new year.

🦞 Stoic & Genuine | 1701 Wynkoop St. (Union Station)

Closes Sept. 1

Hungry Denverites have only a few weeks left to nab a buttery lobster roll from Union Station’s OG tenant, Stoic & Genuine, before it closes for good for Sept. 1. The well-known restaurateurs behind the popular seafood spot, Beth Gruitch and Jennifer Jasinski, cited an expiring lease and “changing market conditions” as the reason for shutting up shop.

🦪 Bistro LeRoux | 1510 16th St. (Union Station)

Closed

Chef Lon Symensma — known best for his longtime success at ChoLon Modern Asian Bistro — has announced the end of his French era on 16th Street Mall. Symensma called the once-thriving business strip a “no man’s land with high taxes, high rent and very little return on what you’re paying for.”