What are you doing on Monday, March 6? You should be checking out the new Sloan’s lake coffee-shop-meets-cocktail-bar Side Pony, brought to us by entrepreneurial women Angela Neri and Jen Sevcik. Neri is the owner of Pony Up, a “fancy dive” bar in LoDo where the cocktails flow, bubbles pop, and sometimes even oysters shuck, all under the watchful gaze of a royal French bulldog. Neri is also a patron of Duality, a boutique fitness studio offering HIIT and yoga classes in its West Colfax studio near Sloan’s Lake owned by Sevik.
According to Sevcik, the genesis of Side Pony came after watching her fitness clients, Neri included, loitering on the sidewalk after a class, wistfully looking for a cool spot where they could chill. Side Pony is that spot—an all-day, light-filled neighborhood café with the added benefit of sipping on hand-crafted coffee or a little somethin’-somethin’ after a tough sweat session.
“With the opening of Side Pony, students will be able to pre-order coffee before taking a class and it’ll be ready for them when they exit,” Sevcik. “They can walk next door after a challenging afternoon workout and grab a hard-earned cocktail with friends.”
This is where you come when you need something perfect —and uncomplicated—any time of day. The food and drink menu is designed to please, from the healthier options to get the Duality crowd in the door (think avocado toast, acai bowls, and Sacred Vow granola with Greek yogurt) to the indulgent breakfast options like Bonfire Burritos, fancy PB&J baguette boards, and delicious pastries and sandwiches.
When cocktail hour rolls around, Side Pony transforms from a café into a haven for mouthwatering munchies and delectable drinks. The cocktail program is the brainchild of Krista Orlebeck. She’s recently crowned the champ of Denver’s Speed Rack, a competition of bartenders that puts even the best to the test. Orlebeck’s mixology magic is on full display with her collection of nine signature cocktails that are equal parts inviting and exciting.
At Side Pony, the extra-long happy hour runs from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday, with discounted drinks, small bites, and wine. And the fun doesn’t stop there. When the day transitions to evening, the sharable items keep coming. We heard from someone who tried the warm baguette with cashew pesto dip and they said their excitement level jumped from 10 to 12 on a scale of 10.
Throughout the space, you’ll notice little connections to Pony Up, including a portrait of Sevcik’s dog Wilson, done by the muralist Patrick McGregor (you know his work—he’s the talented guy behind the giant bulldog murals all around town. By the way, the bulldog’s name is Boug.)
Sevcik considers Side Pony is the “cherry on top” of her cake, as the third and final business to open in what she calls “our Colfax collective”—Duality; Original Glam, a med spa and wellness lounge; and now Side Pony. “These three together showcase elevated lifestyle brands in a transitioning neighborhood,” she says.
“There’s a lot of excitement in doing something new and different,” says Neri. According to her, Side Pony, with its clean, elegant vibe by day and “sexy twinkly factor” at night, is the perfect place to be, whether you’re dressed up or down, starting your day, or wrapping it up in a nice little bow. And, she adds, “If you’re wondering if we’re open, we probably are.”
Side Pony | 4365 W. Colfax Ave. | sideponydenver.com | @sideponydenver
