Openings and Closings

NOW OPEN

1) Cracker Barrel: 9111 E. 40th Ave., Denver.

A ribbon cutting in April marked the opening of the new Cracker Barrel restaurant in Denver—the first one in the city and the first opened in Colorado in 28 years.

Denver City Councilwoman Shontel Lewis said the opening is significant as the restaurant will welcome new people to the neighborhood and opens “new possibilities” for District 8. “It means a place to gather, to celebrate birthdays, graduations, and Sunday afternoons. It means jobs, opportunity and a reason for families to stay close,” Lewis told the crowd.

NOW OPEN FOR BREAKFAST

2) Cuba Cuba: 8261 Northfield Blvd., Denver.

3) Pearl Market: 9196 57th Ave., Denver.

CLOSED

4) Bar Louie: 8332 E. Northfield Blvd., Denver.

5) Town Hall Draws a Crowd in NE Denver

Community members filled a room at the Hiawatha Davis Jr. Recreation Center in Park Hill to hear about the priorities of state Rep. Lindsay Gilchrist, state Senate President James Coleman, and state Senator Matt Ball, all Democrats, who told the crowd they are working hard to protect Colorado from the impact of changes at the federal level.

“We’re concerned about healthcare, we’re concerned about education, we’re concerned about higher ed, we’re concerned about Social Security, and all these different pieces and more—immigration, civil rights, and DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion],” Coleman said.

Gilchrist agreed the state needs to be proactive about policies at the federal level, workers losing their jobs, protecting the migrant community, DEI, and support for LGBTQ+ communities.

“Diversity, equity, inclusion is one of the best parts of this state, and we’re not going to back away from that. And, protecting our LGBTQ+ community, particularly our trans community [is important],” Gilchrist said.

In January, Ball was appointed to fill the state Senate seat vacated by Chris Hansen. He said his number one focus is on mental healthcare. As a veteran, Ball said he has struggled with his own mental health and called the current situation in Colorado a crisis.

The problem, Ball said, is with TABOR, the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. “We don’t have enough money to pay for good mental health services. We need to get rid of it. And I am at the Capitol in part because I want to push our state forward.”

Representatives from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment; One Colorado, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization; and the Colorado Immigration Rights Coalition were at the town hall to talk about their work for communities in the city and state.

6) A Neighborhood Task Force Looks for Solutions Along the Quebec Corridor

Crime, safety, traffic, transportation, and shelters for the unhoused. These are all frequent topics at neighborhood meetings in Denver. Residents who live in the Quebec Corridor are now being asked to help find solutions for the ongoing issues.

A task force is being formed to address problems in the area along Quebec St. running from MLK Jr. Blvd. to I-70. People who filled out a survey of interest in joining the group were to be notified by May 1.

The area includes three shelters for the unhoused, eight schools, one recreation center, one library, businesses, and more than 17,000 residents who are represented by four registered neighborhood organizations: Central Park United Neighbors, Greater Park Hill Community, Northeast Park Hill Coalition, and Overlook at Park Hill.

A community meeting in April was filled with people who live and work in the area, Denver police officers, and leaders from city departments.

A Park Hill resident, who gave his name as Kevin, said that since shelters have opened in the Quebec corridor, he’s seen more unhoused people in the area, as opposed to other parts of the city, such as Park Ave., where “I’ve seen it get a lot better. There’s been so much improvement in terms of unsheltered homelessness, but I don’t think we’ve felt that same improvement [along Quebec]. Maybe the opposite.”

Cole Chandler, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s senior advisor for homelessness, has heard the complaints about the three area shelters. “We’re here to step back and think together about how we can improve the quality of life for everyone who lives and moves along the Quebec corridor,” he told attendees. “It includes people that go to businesses, and it includes the people that live in our shelters. How do we really come together to create a cohesive plan to improve quality of life along the corridor?”

Making people feel more comfortable, providing resources for people in the shelters, and spreading out the shelters to different areas of the city were all discussed.

The task force will meet over the next three months and there will be a community meeting in August.

An Honor for A Young Fundraiser

Conrad Swanson is being honored as the 2025 Colorado Wish Hero for his fundraising efforts in honor of his sister Pippa.

Swanson spent his 9th birthday celebrating at Swigert International School by presenting a check to Make-A-Wish Colorado in honor of 7-year-old Pippa who passed away. Conrad raised more than $73,000 through his “Rad’s Climb for Wishes”—a climb of 70 routes at the Übergrippen Indoor Climbing Crag in Central Park.

The money he raised is enough to help grant nine life-changing wishes. The Swanson family traveled to Walt Disney World in 2022, thanks to Make-A-Wish and donors who helped grant Pippa’s wish. Read Conrad’s full story at www.FrontPorchNE.com.