Littleton, CO

Over twenty eateries including Romano's, Palenque and Pho Real will offer new, exclusive and discounted menu items during the inaugural ten-day event.

September 7, 2023

“This is one way that we can help the industry,” says Korri Lundock, executive director of the Littleton Business Chamber, which will host the first Littleton Restaurant Week from Friday, September 8, to Sunday, September 17. Each of the 21 participating restaurants, bars and coffee shops will offer a special menu and/or discount in honor of the event.

“It's fun to see all the different ideas they've come up with,” comments Lundock. “I think some of these restaurants are looking at it as a way to bring in new business, but [also to] thank people for supporting them through the last couple of years.”

Lundock adds that she doesn’t think most people realize how much restaurants are still struggling after COVID. “They're struggling with the price of food, with keeping employees and finding employees," she says. "People aren't going out as much because costs are so high and all these different things.”

Lundock also recently approved a proposal from Piccino Wood Oven Pizza co-owner Robyn Lubatty to establish a restaurant committee in Littleton and appointed her as chairperson. Piccino will trial three new menu items during Littleton Restaurant Week with the aim of expanding its menu. “My goal is to really try to help our businesses the best way we can,” says Lundock.

Molly Martin

Heather Greenwood is co-chair of the committee and co-founder of GraceFull Community Cafe. The pay-what-you-can eatery serves breakfast and lunch, but for Littleton Restaurant Week, it will highlight its chef’s talents with a three-course dinner on Thursday, September 14. Tickets are $65 per person, and proceeds benefit the GraceFull Foundation, which aims to cultivate a healthier, more connected community, regardless of background.

“We're kind of a family down here. I’ve known all of these business owners for a long time before I took this job,” says Lundock. “I actually went to kindergarten with John Romano the year they opened the restaurant.”

Romano's Pizzeria is Littleton’s oldest Italian restaurant, and the family-owned and operated eatery is now run by the second generation of Romanos: John, Nick and Sue Romano-Calhoun.

“Neil and Ellie Romano started their restaurant in 1967 with a simple menu of pasta and pizza. On their first menu, homemade-style spaghetti with meatballs was $1.75. And while we can’t match that price, we can salute them with this restaurant week special,” says Romano-Calhoun. Garlic bread, soup or salad, and a mini cannoli or spumoni will be served alongside the classic entree, all for $19.67.

Lundock adds that Pho Real will offer free flan with a tab of $20 or more, and if you buy two drinks at Colorado Pinball Pub, you get an hour of gaming. She also mentions that in downtown Littleton, ViewHouse will release its Oktoberfest beer lineup, and Kate’s Wine Bar, one of the area’s coziest tasting rooms, will feature a wine flight paired with fine cheeses and charcuterie.

Mark Antonation

Also located downtown, iN-TEA, which offers over 170 blends, plans to serve eight tea flights, each with five varieties to try. Those who stamp the entirety of their tea passport will score a free teapot.

Owner Carole Bright-Alvarez comments, “We value being an active participant in the Littleton business community, and we look forward to folks discovering historic downtown Littleton and all it has to offer.”

Palenque Cocina Y Agaveria is another participant along Main Street. It’s one of the 100 bars we can’t live without and is known for its agave spirits, cocktails and comforting cuisine from the state of Michoacán, Mexico. For the ten-day event, owner Brian Rossi says, “We are going to step away from our traditional menu and try something that I really enjoy eating in colder months of the year: housemade traditional pork green chile smothered on top of a Mexican hamburger.”

Rossi concludes: “The restaurant scene in Littleton is growing. I feel there are enough excellent restaurants around us that we can compete with Denver and give the people of our community a reason to stay in Littleton and not venture too far from home to have amazing meals and a great time.”

Littleton Restaurant Week is presented by the Littleton Business Chamber. Track participating restaurants on the event website.

Keep Free

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. With local media under siege, it's more important than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" program, allowing us to keep offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food and culture with no paywalls. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1.

A Chicago-based general contracting firm is moving its Denver office a few miles south.

W.E. O’Neil Construction Co. recently purchased the 19,493-square-foot office space at 5800 S. Nevada St. in Littleton for $5.6 million.

The company purchased its current office at 229 Vallejo St. in 2006 for $750,000, city records show. It plans on moving to Littleton by year-end.

Todd Guthrie, president of the company’s Colorado branch, said it was time for a change after over 15 years in Denver. He said he’s originally from Littleton and moved back to Colorado in 1999 to establish the company’s local presence.

“We’re excited about being in downtown Littleton and it’s a new opportunity for the company,” he said. “We’ve been looking for the right building for a while. This one came along and it really checked a lot of the boxes for us in terms of access to amenities and the quality of the building.”

W.E. O’Neil has 12 offices in five states, including another office in Colorado Springs. According to the company’s website, the company has been operational for over 90 years and is 100 percent employee-owned.

The space was previously the home of the law firm Anderson & Jahde. The firm purchased it in 2016 for $980,000, records show.

Steven Anderson, attorney and seller, said when the property needed significant renovations when he bought it. He said he added new windows, replaced the wall bearings and cut the drywall to give the space very high ceilings.

“I am very happy for the buyer; there was a lot of love that went into this space,” he said. “We absolutely love the space and it has been an extraordinary office. They got a very nice piece of real estate.”

Anderson said he thought it was a good time for the firm to move and evolve. They are also still seeking to find another office to move to.

CBRE brokers Monica Wiley and Jeff Wood, as well as Kyle Benson of Sessions Group, represented the sellers in the deal. Wiley said the property, originally listed at $5.95 million, was put on the market last fall and had a large amount of interest because of the location and renovations.

Number Thirty Eight, which opened in Denver in 2020, has announced that it’s expanding to Littleton as it works to resolve a years-long struggle with its RiNo neighbors over noise.

The Numbers Holding Co., Number Thirty Eight’s parent company, has closed on a plot of land at the corner of East Dry Creek Road and Broadway, about ten minutes from Littleton's downtown area. Unlike the Denver location, at 3560 Chestnut Place, the plot doesn’t abut any existing neighbor’s balconies.

When Number Thirty Eight applied to renew its cabaret license in 2021, neighbors lodged a complaint alleging that noise from the venue was ruining their quality of life. Paul Riedesel, the City of Denver's noise and acoustic expert, found that at least one concert in June 2021 violated Denver’s noise ordinance.

In May 2022, Molly Duplechian — executive director of the Denver Department of Excise & Licenses — decided that Number Thirty Eight could keep its license, with restrictions to help the neighbors.

In October that year, Number Thirty Eight requested another modification to the cabaret license, asking that it specify that garage doors can be open when bands are playing indoors and don’t have a drum set, or when recorded entertainment like TVs and background music is played through its sound system. The venue also requested that live entertainment without drums be allowed outdoors, should performers use its sound system, which is designed to comply with Denver’s noise ordinance under a sound plan that Number Thirty Eight developed as part of the application for modification.

On Wednesday, April 19, Macon Cowles — the city hearing officer who considered Number Thirty Eight's cabaret license revision case on April 11 — issued a recommended decision that five conditions be placed on the venue's license.

Should Cowles's recommendation be accepted by Duplechian and the Department of Excise & Licenses, which has the final decision, Number Thirty Eight would be barred from removing or modifying its sound barrier wall and volume-limiting sound system without applying for an official permit modification.

Cowles's suggested permit conditions would end amplified sound outdoors at 10 p.m. and prompt the closing of the venue's garage doors at that time, requiring Number Thirty Eight to make every effort to ensure that the doors customers use to enter and exit are closed unless someone is immediately using them. All entertainment at the venue must abide by the Denver noise ordinance, and the venue must continue to follow its sound plan, the recommendation says.

“So long as Number Thirty Eight complies with these conditions, I find that the adult residents of the designated area need and desire the modification to Number 38's dance cabaret license,” Cowles wrote in his decision. “Further I find that if Number Thirty Eight complies with the conditions in [the recommendation], the Director can have confidence that the facility can be operated lawfully, and will not adversely impact the health, welfare and morals of the designated area.”

While the decision is a notch on the belt for neighbors, the recommendation also gives Number Thirty Eight the flexibility it had requested to have its garage doors open during live entertainment — and even have such events outdoors as long as they end by 10 p.m., when Denver’s noise ordinance lowers the limit for noise from 55 to 50 decibels.

The new Littleton concept comprises a mass-timber building with 8,500 square feet of space and extensive views of the mountains. According to Haleigh Watts, national marketing director for Numbers Holding Co., location was a huge factor when the company began examining a second Colorado venue, in part because of the issues it’s faced with sound complaints at its location in Denver.

“In addition, Number Thirty Eight Littleton has been designed as a primarily indoor facility, with its only stage residing indoors,” Watts says.

Fresh off winning the award for Best Free Entertainment in Westword's 2023 Best of Denver issue, Number Thirty Eight plans to continue that approach in Littleton, offering free live music along with local spirits, products and chefs at the new location while connecting with the surrounding community.

“It has been an honor to curate unique and exciting experiences for the community,” Numbers Holding Co. says in a statement. “We look forward to bringing those experiences to Number 38 Littleton.”

The Littleton noise code has terms similar to Denver’s, with a decibel limit of 55 during the day and 50 at night in residential areas — although the 50-decibel limit begins at 7 p.m. in Littleton rather than 10 p.m.

However, the limit is higher in business districts, with 60 decibels allowed from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., and 55 decibels allowed at night.

The planned Number Thirty Eight Littleton is currently in a "corridor mixed-use" location with a planned overlay district. In layman's terms, it’s not purely residential, and the city has plans to eventually change its requirements for the area as it develops and grows.

“This Subsection is intended to facilitate development within existing Planned Developments or Planned Development Overlays of parcels approved for development but dormant or otherwise undeveloped, by expanding options with respect to the development standards and regulations that may apply to such development,” the Littleton noise control code reads.

Littleton redid its zoning code in 2021, and in areas zoned as "corridor mixed-use" — like the new Number Thirty Eight — bars, brewpubs and taverns are allowed to exist as long as they comply with the specifications of the city’s downtown building standards.

Number 38 Littleton is expected to open in summer 2024, so the company has plenty of time to make sure it’s on the right track. In the meantime, any objection to Cowles's recommendation can be filed within ten business days, after which Duplechain will issue her official decision on the terms of the license.

Elevated levels of methamphetamine contamination were discovered in bathrooms at Bemis Public Library, the City of Littleton confirmed in a press release on Wednesday after proactive testing was conducted recently. The library was closed until further notice on Thursday for further testing and decontamination throughout the entire building.

This comes after libraries in Boulder and Englewood also dealt with recent discoveries of meth contamination.

According to the city's press release, facilities staff members tested the bathrooms and ventilation systems at Bemis Public Library after the contaminations in Boulder and Englewood were reported. "The findings indicate elevated levels requiring professional decontamination in the main floor women's and men's bathroom exhaust fans and in the lower-level family bathroom."

However, the city says no evidence of drug paraphernalia or drug use has been seen by library staff.

"The safety of our employees and library patrons is our first priority," Littleton City Manager Jim Becklenberg said in the press release. "According to our partners at Arapahoe County Public Health, health risks to the public are considered low, but we want to make sure our building is as safe as can be before we reopen it."

Unlike in Littleton, there have been reports of heightened drug use at both the affected library locations in Boulder and Englewood. Toward the end of December 2022, there had been a recent spike in reports at the Boulder library of individuals smoking in public restrooms over the past four weeks. Drug use isn't common in the Englewood library, but reports of it increased in recent months as colder weather led more people to seek shelter there, with only a small number of them using, library director Christina Underhill told CBS Colorado previously.

Also in Boulder, on two occasions, city employees were evaluated and cleared of ongoing health concerns after "experiencing symptoms consistent with a potential exposure to meth residue or fumes." There was no mention or concern expressed by Littleton in its press release of any recent exposure at the Bemis location.

The Boulder library is back open, while Englewood Public Library, the north Civic Center lobby and second floor restrooms at the Civic Center remained closed.

In Denver, home to the state's largest library district, there has been less of a concern about contamination, CBS Colorado reports.

Littleton says it will work with experts experienced in testing and cleanup, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment as well as Arapahoe County Public Health, which the city says will provide guidance through remediation and cleaning.

RELATED: Boulder Library meth contamination prompts some to test, others consider new protocol

CBSColorado.com Staff

The staff at CBS News Colorado is Covering Colorado First. Meet the news team or contact us.

LITTLETON, Colo. — A longtime Denver burger joint has opened its third location in Colorado.

The Cherry Cricket has opened the doors to its newest restaurant at 819 W. Littleton Blvd.

The restaurant said the 6,659-square-foot Littleton location has about 400 seats, including more than 100 outdoor seats, as well as its signature marquee sign, guest-favorite fish tank and nostalgic design features.

The Littleton building was constructed in 1967 and has been home to several restaurants, most notably the Crestwood Restaurant for more than 40 years. Many Littleton residents remember celebrating everything from prom to wedding anniversaries at the Crestwood.

The Cherry Cricket has been open in Cherry Creek for more than 78 years and in Denver's Ballpark neighborhood since 2018.

As the Cherry Creek location has had an iconic neon sign, crews installed an equally impressive neon sign in Littleton in May. Construction on the Littleton restaurant began last December.

“The Cricket has made a lot of friends over the years, many of whom call Littleton home. We love being a neighborhood restaurant where people gather to create memories. We’re just excited we’ll get to do more of that in Littleton,” said Alex Bunn, vice president of brand strategy and growth for The Cherry Cricket.

"As a restaurant that got its start 78 years ago, it’s important to us at the Cherry Cricket that we pay homage to the history of the community," said Bunn.

"It will feel every bit like The Cherry Cricket, but we hope it will bring back memories from the Crestwood, as well," Bunn added. "Our team made deliberate decisions to preserve signature elements like the mansard roof and rock walls. We think the result will be a truly special combination."

"We thought displaying photos of good times at The Crestwood would be a fun way to honor the restaurant’s legacy while celebrating a new chapter for this very special location. We hope to continue the tradition of hosting great memories with family and friends. We can’t wait to see the photos that come in."

The Cherry Cricket has named Samantha Taxin general manager and Eder Martinez head chef of the Littleton restaurant.

"We are thrilled to have Samantha lead the Cherry Cricket Littleton team. She started at the Cricket as a hostess in 2005 and worked her way up to general manager," said Melissa Brooks, Cherry Cricket’s vice president of human resources. "With Samantha’s leadership and enthusiasm, we hope that each of the 160 team members we hire will have the success and longevity that she has had. The excitement is palpable; we had people asking to apply over a year ago!"

The new restaurant was built by MA Architects and Jordy Construction.

SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Colorado Guide

Subscribe to our daily 9NEWSLETTER

Download the 9NEWS APPiTunes: http://on9news.tv/itunesGoogle Play: http://on9news.tv/1lWnC5n

ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA.

For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "9news" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.