Self-serve beer hall First Draft shutters after a decade in RiNo

A self-serve beer hall in Denver s RiNo neighborhood has closed after a decade following a steady decline since COVID according to its owner First Draft Taproom Kitchen ceased operations at th St over the weekend California transplant Mark Slattery opened the business in taking advantage of apparatus from a company called iPourIt Customers could fill their glasses from various taps of beer cider wine and other beverages on the perimeter of the establishment An RFID chip in their wristband monitored their pours and charged them by the ounce An on-site kitchen dished up burgers wings pizza and sandwiches You can be waiting for minutes at a bar before the bartender comes over to take your order Slattery informed BusinessDen in Here you don t have to wait for the bartender On Tuesday Slattery noted his lease for the -square-foot spot with a sizable patio was up at the end of this month His landlord the national retail landlord Edens craved more in rent and was not super flexible Had he renewed Slattery commented his all-in monthly cost which includes things like property taxes in addition to base rent would have been about triple what it was when First Draft opened It just didn t make sense for us he commented Edens which spent about million on RiNo real estate in the immediate area declined to comment on the plan for First Draft s space Slattery explained the demographic coming to RiNo seems to have changed When First Draft opened he stated the neighborhood known for its breweries attracted customers in their upper s or early s Related Articles A new bar a bagel shop and a cafe bolster Platte Street s revival Broadway karaoke bar sings closing number after months Casa Bonita s executive chef taking over Englewood urban farm s restaurant Taiwanese restaurant opens in Five Points with Top Chef ties Owner of My Neighbor Felix plans to open new Denver steakhouse in LoDo Once COVID came and left it mainly became a -and-under kind of crowd he explained adding that the pandemic also nixed First Draft s corporate happy hours and events business After opening in Denver Slattery expanded First Draft to Los Angeles and Minneapolis The latter closed in early L A also has challenges but remains open in part because it still has time left on its lease We re trying to stick it out and turn it around Slattery disclosed of L A But it s tough Other developments in the RiNo booze scene this year include the closure of the Blue Moon brewpub and Great Divide s taproom along Brighton Boulevard An investor in the shuttered Infinite Monkey Theorem winery meanwhile is feuding with the business s former landlord Subscribe to our new food newsletter Stuffed to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox