Denver Restaurant Openings & Closings: August 2026

August in Denver's restaurant world felt like two different stories running at once. On one side, you had genuine buzz: a Michelin Bib Gourmand import setting up shop in RiNo, and a Louisiana po' boy pop-up that came out of nowhere. On the other, you had a string of pizza spots either clawing their way back from the dead or getting a new life under a new owner, which says a lot about how tough this business still is even for beloved names.

The month's biggest closures hit the south suburbs hard, with two more locations of a national chain calling it quits and a Centennial Korean spot shutting down after three solid years. But there was a genuine save in there too: a 16 year old LoHi bakery that looked like it was headed for the history books got picked up by one of Denver's most respected restaurant groups instead.

Here's everything we could confirm actually opened or closed in Denver in August 2026, sourced from the people who cover this stuff for a living.

Now Open

Soda Club (RiNo, inside the Ramble Hotel): This was the opening on everyone's radar this summer, and it delivered. More than 20 new Denver-area restaurants debuted in August, including one that had been on our list of most-anticipated restaurants of the summer: Soda Club, the New York-based Michelin Bib Gourmand honoree, brought its unique brand of Italian flair to RiNo's Ramble Hotel with an all-vegan menu of pastas, pizzas and more. If you've been vegan-curious but skeptical of vegan Italian, this is the spot making believers out of people, per Westword.

Poor Boys (The Source Marketplace, RiNo): A total surprise, and a fun one. This surprise pop-up launch is a side project from Temaki Den's Kenta Kamo and partner Isaac Woo, who teamed up to bring Louisiana po' boys to Denver while the hand roll concept undergoes a renovation project, and if all goes well, the sandwich shop could find a permanent home after the short-term trial ends this October. Go now while it's still a pop-up, per Westword.

Enzo's Brick Oven Pizza (East Colfax): This location has had more comebacks than a boxer who should've retired years ago, and honestly, we're rooting for this one to stick. Enzo's End held down the fort at 3424 E. Colfax Ave. since 1996, serving some of the city's best and most beloved pizza for 28 years until owner Charlie Puma hung up his peel in 2024. Now there's a fresh owner giving it another shot, and Enzo's Brick Oven Pizza is located at 3424 East Colfax Ave. and is open from 4 p.m to midnight Sunday through Thursday, and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, per Westword.

Giorgios Pizza (Leetsdale): A genuine legacy comeback. Giorgios Pizza had a successful 10-year run before closing during the pandemic, and it returns this month, with the founders' son at the helm. If you remember the original, this is worth a trip back, per Westword.

After School Pizza (Denver): A weirdly great concept that leans into the whole "sneak out for a slice" vibe. After School Pizza serves New York-inspired sourdough slices through a hidden window. If you know, you know, per Westword.

Closed

Rock Bottom Brewery (Centennial and Highlands Ranch): Rough month for this chain in the south metro. The chain's new private-equity owners shuttered both South Denver locations, the County Line Road spot in Centennial and the Park Central Drive location in Highlands Ranch, the same brand that closed its original flagship downtown location on 16th Street earlier this year. With these two gone, the only Rock Bottom left standing in Colorado is in Loveland. A quiet end for a brand that used to be everywhere in this state, per South Denver Guide, citing Westword's roll call.

BopBowl (Centennial): This quick-service Korean spot near the Dry Creek light rail station closed after roughly three years in business, having served Korean bowls and catering to the DTC/Dry Creek Road corridor since 2023. No word yet on what fills the space, per South Denver Guide, citing Westword's weekly roll call.

Worth a shoutout even though it's not a closure: The Wooden Spoon, the 16 year old LoHi bakery, came close to shutting down for good this month. The team at Root Down stepped in and acquired the LoHi bakery favorite, saving the 16-year-old neighborhood staple founded by owners Jason and Jeanette Burgett from imminent closure. One of the better news stories of the month, per Westword.

Coming Soon

Rōmyō (Larimer Square): Frank Bonanno's next big swing got pushed back, but it's close. Frank Bonanno's most ambitious concept in years, originally targeting a mid-July opening on Larimer Square, has slipped to August per Westword's latest summer preview. Rōmyō, a mashup of Rome and Tokyo, pairs handmade pasta with Japanese technique, and a porcini fusilli with uni garlic emulsion is one preview dish already turning heads. Keep an eye out, per South Denver Guide, citing Westword.

Black Box Bakery is adding a sit-down café to its lineup. Black Box Bakery will soon open a sit-down café, per Westword. No official date yet, but we'll be watching.

That's what we've got confirmed for August. The full directory lives at /directory, and if we missed an opening or closing, tell us at /contact.