Cowboys Saloon General Manager Scott Henley (center) says the restaurant is particularly focused on good food and good service, as well as being family friendly. Servers Kurstin Penning (left) and Karlee Muth and security guard Nolan Leyba are pictured with him.
On April 22, Cowboys Saloon American Bar and Grille opened its doors in the 22,000-square-foot space formerly occupied by Toby Keith’s in the Shops at Northfield in Stapleton. The Western-themed bar and restaurant intends to pick up where the former occupant left off, bringing in live music, Southern-inspired food and craft drinks, among other attractions.
General Manager Scott Henley says the location is family friendly, with a top-notch menu and an emphasis on being part of the local community. “The concept is that from 11am to 9pm it’s a great place to bring your family to eat. Kids’ nights are on Tuesday, when kids eat free. We have excellent food and kids are encouraged to come and be cowboys for the night or day. It’s more like a restaurant during those times. As the evening wears on we transition slowly into a bar atmosphere with live music, line dancing and even a mechanical bull.”
The Saloon offers cocktails blended with its own infused vodka and bourbon to create signature craft drinks. Henley says there is a wide range of spirits and beer available including plenty of tequila. “It’s a really nice bar. The whole experience is kind of similar to what you might get with a Planet Hollywood or Hard Rock Cafe experience. Our president is from that background.”
The Cowboys Saloon franchise is owned by a family from Davie, Fla. There are currently three locations in the Sunshine State, one in Phoenix, and the new Denver operation in Northfield. One more will open soon in Arizona and then another in Syracuse, NY.
“It’s a growing concept with a lot of potential and I’m excited to help mold the idea as we grow,” Henley says. “It’s similar to Toby Keith’s but different. It’s a little more refined. We have private rooms for rent and we’re making sure that our food is a number one priority. I think some of what can happen with similar places is that they sometimes don’t focus on the food and then they kind of got buried once the newness wears off. We plan to really focus on the menu and the service.”
Cowboys Saloon has approximately 100 employees in Northfield, with about 40 employees working at any one time. Their entertainment will include national country music touring bands and local musical talent featuring a blend of country and classic rock as well as a deejay. “When it comes to the music, we listen to whatever it is our customers say they want to hear,” says Henley. The new Cowboys location features a state-of-the-art stage and a brand-new lighting system as well as an expanded dance floor.
For more information, visit www.cowboyssaloon.com/denver/. Cowboys is located at 8260 Northfield Blvd.; 720.328.8574. Open Mon.–Wed. and Sun. 11am–11pm; Thurs.–Sat. 11am–2am.
What. The. Eff. Serious?? 15-20% of the music was country. When it was finally COUNTRY it’s as though the DJ was trying to find a reason to make me want to kill myself with slow songs. I’m sorry but this is money that was pissed away by management. The bar staff was more attentive to serving than the old Toby’s but the prices of drinks… RIDICULOUS. Not worth it. This place will fail in less than two years. Hope you guys make your money back on the auction cost of this place. So much potential and you dropped the ball. Fire the DJ. Drop the prices of drinks. Buff the damn floor so someone can actually move in it. Get rid of the line dancing crew you obviously hired to get things started; when they’re the only ones out there during and ENTIRE song it doesn’t look good. I have no idea how express my concern except that you didn’t do much research before opening this place… A lot of people will pass