It’s been almost a full month since I returned to my role as Westword‘ food and drink editor after taking medical leave following a breast cancer diagnosis, and what a month it’s been! While we reported on some sad closure announcements, including the loss of Tennyson Street diner Wendell’s and the upcoming last service at Colfax favorite Q House, there were numerous openings — we covered news of 27 additions to the scene, far outpacing the 13 closures last month.
There was a lot of action on Federal Boulevard, where Da Lat, MR Patron and DGO Cocina Cantina all debuted. Some established names made some interesting moves, like chef Dana Rodriguez, who expanded her eleven-year-old RiNo eatery Work & Class to Englewood and has plans to open more in Colorado and possibly beyond.
As restaurants continue to struggle with rising costs, it’s encouraging to see the growth of small, independent operators. Moon Racoon, a favorite at farmers’ markets, now has a brick-and-mortar bakery; Bowls by KO also moved out of Avanti and into a new space of its own near Sloan’s Lake; and former food truck Outside Pizza is now operating inside, serving its pies (including the popular pickle-topped version) from the kitchen at Cerebral Brewing. Pro tip: Don’t skip the excellent miso Caesar salad.
It’s likely that we’ll see more closures as the year nears its end — business slows down when temperatures drop and many leases expire in December. But there’s still a lot to look forward to as well. With openings like Molino Chido at Stanley Marketplace and Boombots Pasta Shop on the horizon, October is already shaping up to be another tasty month.
Here’s the complete list of restaurants that opened and closed in September 2025*:
Openings
Berliner Haus at Avanti, 3200 Pecos Street
Black Rock Coffee Bar, 14455 East Arapahoe Road, Aurora, and 10611 Westminster Boulevard, Westminster
Blend.Co, 2246 Larimer Street
Bowls by KO, 1611 Raleigh Street
The Brinkerhoff, 6373 Promenade Parkway, Castle Rock
Call Your Mother, 1650 28th Street, Boulder
Chef Liu’s Kitchen, 2222 South Havana Street, Aurora
Da Lat, 940 South Federal Boulevard
The Devil’s Drink, 1553 Platte Street
DGO Cocina Cantina, 1703 Federal Boulevard
F1 Arcade, 2734 Walnut Street
Harbor Dim Sum & Cuisine, 2200 West Alameda Avenue
Iron Age BBQ at the Shambles Tavern, 3501 Delgany Street
Jama Miami Cuban at Freedom Street Social, 15177 Candelas Parkway, Arvada
JP Restaurant and Lounge, 2900 West 25th Avenue
Mama Kim’s Wellness Center, 8745 East Orchard Road, Unit 520, Greenwood Village
Moon Raccoon Baking Company, 2839 West 44th Avenue
MR Patron, 555 South Federal Boulevard
Outside Pizza at Cerebral Brewing Taproom, 3257 Lowell Boulevard
Society 303 Wine Bar, 9600 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora
Starbird Chicken, 965 South Colorado Boulevard
Suenos Cantina, 5411 Leetsdale Drive, Glendale
Sumac Street, 7950 East Mississippi Avenue, Aurora
White Rabbit Coffee, 11187 North Sheridan Boulevard, Westminster
Wyman’s Mercantile, 2200 East Colfax Avenue
Work + Class, 900 East Hampden Avenue, Englewood
Closures
Banded Oak Brewing, 470 Broadway
bb.q Chicken, 1360 Grant Street
Big Apple Bodega, 2231 South Broadway
By the Bucket, 5910 South University Boulevard, Greenwood Village
East Tao Ramen, 955 Lincoln Street
For[a]ged, 1825 Blake Street
Happy Cafe, 945 South Federal Boulevard
Inside Scoop, 1535 Platte Street
Milk & Cake, 6345 East Hampden Avenue
Mono Mono, 1550 Blake Street
Super Star Asian Cuisine, 2200 West Alameda Avenue
Sushi Kuro at Zeppelin Station, 3501 Wazee Street
Wendell’s, 3838 Tennyson Street
*Or earlier and not previously reported.