Denver’s dining scene has grown significantly over the past few years, but there’s one area that’s still severely lacking: late night spots. I’m talking open well past midnight until 2, 3, 4 a.m. and beyond.
The pandemic played a big role in demolishing Denver’s after hours food options. Classic establishments like Tom’s Diner and Denver Diner, once staples for night owls, have closed, while others have reduced hours. Today the only options out past midnight are fast food or food trucks.
“When I was younger, we’d go out until 2 a.m. and then be able to go to a 24-hour restaurant,” said Robert Yoakum, director of operations for Little India, which just turned its location at 330 E. 6th Ave. in Denver into a 24-hour spot. “Now, there’s not too many places offering food late night anymore.”
The pandemic also shifted consumer behavior towards delivery and takeout.
“Lots of places had to close, but when they opened back up, not all the business came back through the doors,” shared Joshua Pollack, founder and owner of Bridge and Tunnel Hospitality Group (Rosenberg’s, Famous J’s, Lou’s Italian). “We see a lot of third-party ordering and delivering, especially at night with Famous J’s, and for Rosenberg’s, almost 50-percent of our orders are online now.”
Despite challenges, there are a few restaurants trying to revitalize the city’s late-night food scene, and encouraging other restaurateurs to follow suit.
Glimmers of Late Night Food Reappear
There’s definitely demand for late night options in Denver, and a few trailblazers are starting to answer the call. Little India, a Mile High staple since 1998, recently took a bold step when it started keeping its 6th Ave location open 24-7.
“More and more Indian restaurants are popping up around us, so we always want to stay one step ahead,” said Yoakum. “None of them were staying open late, so we decided to try staying open 24 hours.”
Rosenberg’s, a deli and bagel shop at 725 E. 26th Ave. in Denver, has tried its hand at late night hours with its summertime pop-up, RosenBurgers, offering White Castle-esque sliders, fries and shakes from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The Vietnamese restaurant Now Pho on South Federal is another beacon of late-night dining, staying open until 3 a.m. on weekends.
“Late night is our busiest time,” said Now Pho’s managing partner, Toan Le.
“When I was growing up we had a world of diners, fast food wasn’t a thing, ”said Pollack, adding his concepts garnered inspiration from growing up in New York and New Jersey. “There were mom and pop places that were affordable and open late, that satisfied that itch that soul food fills.”
Beyond these spots, other places like Cheng’s Kitchen in Lincoln Park, HUMMUS near Coors Field, The Original Chubby’s in LoHi, Pita Fresh, and Gaia Masala & Burger are open until 3 a.m. on weekends, and some stay open late even beyond the weekend. Notably, Pete’s Kitchen is open for 48 hours straight on Friday and Saturday.
The Late Night Crowd
Yoakum, Le, and Pollack all mentioned that Denver isn’t accustomed to having late night restaurant options, but once customers caught on business really started to pick up.
“We started out very slow, but we told our staff to stick through it and our persistence was worth it,” explained Le. “Now that we’re known for late night pho, sometimes we even have a wait out the door.”
Denver’s late-night crowd is also quite diverse, ranging from the usual bar hoppers and concert goers to hospital staff and food and beverage industry folks.
“Cap Hill is always busy, we get a variety of people at all times of day,” said Yaokum. “Our 6th Ave. location is right near Denver Health Hospital, so at night we get a lot of nurses who are just getting off the graveyard shift.”
The night owl orders also show the demand for quality meals past midnight. According to Le, the most popular items ordered past 12 a.m. are traditional pho, appetizer samplers, and the classic combo. And at Little India, Yoakum said people tend to get alu paratha (a traditional whole wheat bread stuffed with potatoes and peas), chicken tikka masala, and vindaloos.
Challenges to Staying Open Late
Operating late-night hours comes with its own set of challenges. Staffing is a major hurdle, and Pollack noted Famous J’s initial plans to stay open until 3 a.m. on the weekends had to be scaled back due to a lack of available workers. Le has also noticed other businesses scale back hours after trying to stay open later.
“I’ve definitely seen more restaurants opening later, but then they pull back,” said Le. “I guess it all comes down to the numbers and paying more for labor and the cost of operations when the dining room is slower can be hard.”
“Once, a fight broke out between two groups eating at the restaurant and there were bottles flying and we had to call the cops,” said Le, who ended up having to close at 3 a.m. and stay until 8 a.m. to clean the mess. “I have a good connection with the Denver Police Department, so if I need to call them they respond pretty quickly.”
Safety concerns also play a role. All the restaurateurs we spoke to mentioned that they have a good relationship with local law enforcement, which helps.
Pollack thinks the answer to reducing crime is by staying busy. “Bad things really happen when no one is around, when it’s dark and empty. The more we can do to activate the corridor at night, the safer it will be.”
Denver’s late-night dining scene is gradually reviving, but the limited number of options available highlight the need for more restaurants to embrace the late-night model.
“We would love to see more people coming out late at night,” said Le. “We’re looking to open 24-7 if people would come and support.”
As more places decide to push the hours deeper into the night, we just may see more restaurants booming after midnight.
