Restaurant Roll Call: August Brought a Slew of Closures, Including Prohibition and Sky Bar

Openings were on pace with closures in August, and the last week of the month saw four surprising losses in the hospitality scene.

The Denver Bread Company, which was founded by Greg Bortz in 1994, and Victory Love + Cookies, the business that his wife, Kristy Greenwood Bortz, launched out of the same space in 2008, will not reopen after the couple took August off to reflect on their future plans. “It’s time for a change,” Greenwood Bortz says, in announcing the decision not to reopen either business.

Two bars also shuttered, though drinks will be flowing in both spaces again soon. Sky Bar, which debuted inside the Stanley Marketplace just over a year ago, announced its closure on social media. “We have sold Sky Bar to an award-winning set of restaurateurs that will usher in a new era of craft cocktails and experience later this year,” it says.

Prohibition, which has been a Colfax watering hole since 2011 and once made an appearance on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, is no more. There is now a pride flag hanging in the window; a new gay bar called Buddies will be taking over the space.

Many of the places that closed in August cited similar reasons for saying goodbye, including rising rents and an ongoing staffing shortage. But it’s not all doom and gloom on the scene. August also brought some notable openings, including Leezakaya, a new Japanese pub in Aurora from restaurateur J.W. Lee’s Seoul Hospitality Group, and a second location for longtime Englewood staple Rico’s.

The bar scene saw several new additions as well. If you’re looking for fresh spots to imbibe, options include the Denver tasting room from award-winning distillery Spirit Hound; Desert Social from the team behind Adelitas and Ni Tuyo; the new iteration of jazz bar Dazzle; and the Devil’s Drink, which co-owner Andrew Harris describes as an “underworld speakeasy.”

Hungry for more? Check out all our openings-and-closings coverage.

Here’s the complete list of restaurants and bars that opened and closed in August:

Restaurants and bars that opened in August:*

Ay Cabron Bar & Grill, 3780 Peoria Street
The Cake Bar, 214 East 13th Avenue
Dazzle, 1080 14th Street
Desert Social Bar & Lounge, 1312 South Broadway
The Devil’s Drink, 3330 Mariposa Street
El Zarape, 2250 South Federal Boulevard
Gela Coffee & Ice Cream at Parkside Eatery, 14515 East Alameda Avenue, Aurora
Gringos Tacos at Mercury Cafe, 2199 California Street
L & L Hawaiian Barbecue, 2323 30th Street, Boulder
Leezakaya, 2710 South Havana Street, Aurora
Over Flyte, 3120 Uinta Street
Paris Baguette, 10601 East Garden Drive, Aurora
Pizza 3.14, 225 East 20th Avenue
Rico’s Pizzeria, 2700 East Colfax Avenue
Rush Bowls, 13762 Colorado Boulevard, Thornton
Spirit Hound Distillers, 3622 Tejon Street
That’s Kava, 3394 South Broadway, Englewood
Voodoo Doughnut, 3210 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder

Restaurants and bars that closed in August:*

4G’s Mexican Restaurant, 2788 South Federal Boulevard
The Denver Bread Company, 3200 Irving Street
Chihuahua’ Cantina y Cocina, 2250 South Federal Boulevard
Chocolate Lab, 5575 East Third Avenue
Elevated Seltzer, 5610 Yukon Street, Arvada
The Fifth String, 3316 Tejon Street
French for Sugar, 1201 East Colfax Avenue
Infinitus Pizza Pie (iPIE), 5807 West 38th Avenue, Wheat Ridge
Humboldt Kitchen + Bar, 1700 Humboldt Street
Knox Pizza & Tap, 100 Knox Court
Mockery Brewing, 3501 Delgany Street
Nonna’s Chicago Bistro, 6603 Leetsdale Drive
The Nosh, 4994 Lowell Boulevard
Prohibition, 504 East Colfax Avenue
Sky Bar at Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas Street
Sofia’s, 1530 16th Street Mall
Victory Love + Cookies, 3200 Irving Street

*Or earlier and not previously reported.

Know of something we missed? Email cafe@westword.com.