Gary Garcia has seen his share of change and then some in the decades his family has owned and operated a bar and restaurant at the corner of 35th and Larimer streets, on the northern edge of Five Points.
Garcia’s grandparents bought the establishment at now called Phil’s Place at 3463 Larimer St. in the early 70s, long before anyone called the area RiNo or talked about an arts district. Garcia and his wife, June, built a kitchen there in 2004 and have been running it since they bought out their son Phil in 2006.
“This building here shot up overnight,” Garcia said Thursday gesturing toward the Larimer Row Townhomes just a few lots south of his business. “Same with this one here,” he added, pointing at the three-story building with 66 apartments, a coffee shop and a burger joint in it across the street. It replaced a meat-packing facility, he recalled.
This weekend, Garcia will go beyond observing the turnover in the neighborhood and participate in it. He and his wife have agreed to sell Phil’s Place to the Robert L. Naiman Company for an undisclosed sum. The sale will close Tuesday, according to the buyer. The vacant lot next door sold for $695,000 in 2016, according to city records.
June Garcia, or Junie, dished up her last fried tacos and burritos smothered in her award-winning green chile on Friday. Phil’s will be closed Saturday for cleanup. On Sunday starting a 5 p.m., the Garcias will throw one last bash starting at Phil’s then moving across the street to the Exdo Event Center. There will be food trucks and a DJ. A $30 ticket buys attendees all they can drink; $50 for couples.
Phil’s Place stood out on a rapidly changing block in a rapidly changing area with its Denver Broncos mural facing 35th Street on the outside and its old-fashioned wood paneling inside. It is not facing the bulldozer now that its long-time owners are moving on.
Nikki Naiman, a partner in her father’s company and its director of leasing, confirmed the space will be leased to a bar group headed by Leigh Jones, a Denver hospitality industry veteran who has ownership stakes in the Bar Car, Horseshoe Lounge and Inga’s Alpine Tavern.
“We haven’t made a solid plan for what will do in the future. Right now our plan is have Leigh operate her bar and we’ll see what happens,” Naiman said. Her company purchased the building located at the northeast corner of Larimer and 35th in January. It is home to popular restaurant Hop Alley, a dental office and a marketing agency.
Jones will be joined by partners Margaret Moore, Melanie Brush and Katie Travernicht in the new venture. They’re calling it the Embassy Tavern, a name partially meant as a send up to the World Trade Center Denver mega project planned for 38th and Walnut streets and as symbol of the welcoming atmosphere the operators hope to achieve.
“We like to do quirky spaces. Spaces some people want to shy away from or want to go in and gut and change,” Jones said. “We’re huge fans of the old school wood paneling and that 70s vibe. We might change out a light here or there.”
Jones also aims to preserve some of the well-loved menu items from Phil’s Place, specifically the green chile. Gary Garcia brought in some future staff for a tutorial on the recipe. He has vowed to help out with the first batch on the Embassy’s opening day, targeted for Oct. 18.
Around the corner from Phil’s Place, another business is preparing to pull up stakes. Stone Crafters Inc. will move its stone-working fabrication center and sales office to Lincoln Park by the end of the year after 14 years in Five Points, staffer Carin Connelly said.
“This has clearly turned into a residential area,” she said.
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The influx of residential space should accelerate if the city has its way. Earlier this year the City Council approved a zoning overlay that will allow developers to build higher near the 38th and Blake transit station if they create or contribute to the creation of affordable housing.
While change has been rapid over the last decade, it hasn’t surprised Gary Garcia. He always figured development would head north from downtown eventually. He’s just happy to finally be hanging it up, especially after his wife’s breast cancer diagnosis 10 years ago.
“My whole life has been spent making people happy,” he said. “Now it’s my turn to make my wife happy. It’s time to retire.”
