Denver, CO
Taco House closing original Denver location after nearly 70 years due to rising costs
DENVER — The iconic Taco House sign has been lighting up South Federal Boulevard since Feb. 1958. But after a nearly 67-year run, it will soon go dark for good.
Owner Greg Risch told Denver7 that the flagship restaurant is closing its doors at the end of December. The owner was emotional as he looked back on 66 years of serving the community.
“It really touches you when that many people you know care, and that’s a big deal in the city,” he said.
Risch said most of his customers are long-time neighbors who continue to show up day after day for decades.
Many life milestones — birthdays, graduations, and remembrances of loved ones — have taken place at Taco House over the years. Of course, the everyday moments made it what it was — a second home for many folks who live nearby.
After much consideration, the decision to shut Taco House on Federal boiled down to rising operating costs.
“It’ll be just sad to shut it down, but we have to. I mean, where the economy is and everything, it’s just — you can’t go on,” said Risch.
Taco House already raised its menu prices once.
“We barely made it through COVID,” Risch said. “Everybody wanted us to go back to all-you-can-eat, [but] we couldn’t do it.”
Risch said he didn’t want to make it any worse for the customers he calls family, especially at a time when many are cutting extra expenses like eating out.
Taco House will keep its Lakewood location open, where operating costs are cheaper.
Business
Denver businesses are leaving South Broadway. What’s pushing them out?
Denver7 reported on multiple businesses across Denver that have shut down or moved out of town, citing similar financial strains over the past few years. Most recently, Denver7 reported on the closures of Señor Burritos and Taco Uprising.
We wanted to know if there were any plans to bring relief to small businesses in Denver, so we reached out to Mayor Mike Johnston. His office issued a statement saying in part, “it’s more important now than ever that the city help protect these businesses. That’s why Mayor Johnston’s 2025 budget includes more than $35 million to support our local business community along with ongoing city programs to make it easier to start and grow a business.”
Full statement:
“Denver’s local businesses are the soul of our community, and Mayor Johnston is deeply committed to helping them thrive. With many Denverites feeling the squeeze of the national economy, it’s more important now than ever that the city help protect these businesses. That’s why Mayor Johnston’s 2025 budget includes more than $35 million to support our local business community along with ongoing city programs to make it easier to start and grow a business. We are proud that Denver remains one of the most business-friendly cities in the state by limiting regulations and increasing city support for business owners. In fact, this year we’ve seen an increase of nearly 2,000 new business licenses compared to 2023, and we’re excited that some of Denver’s favorite small businesses have decided to expand their operations such as Leven and Emilia. We look forward to continuing our work to build a vibrant and thriving local economy.”
Meanwhile, as the original Taco House gets ready to close its doors on South Federal Boulevard, there’s a resolve to continue building the decades-old community, even if it is a few miles away.
“My wife, she says, ‘How do you know everybody?’ They’re just like family. So [it] makes me feel good that I can do that for the community and be well known,” said Risch.
Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos
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Denver, CO
Things To Do In And Around Denver This Weekend – 12/17-12/21 – 303 Magazine
Where: Fight Club – 1959 16th St Mall Denver
Cost: Price varies
The Lowdown:
Guests have the option of $39 bottomless flatbreads, which includes the price of their oche reservation for Social Darts®. The bottomless flatbread menu features Smoked Salmon Flatbread, Four Cheese Flatbread, Breakfast Flatbread, or Garden Vegetable Flatbread. Guests can also order off the á la carte menu, which includes a fresh-cut fruit plate, breakfast sliders,, avocado toast, and Flight Club’s famous churros.
Denver, CO
Denver airport delays, crashes, broken windows, downed power lines: What to know about Colorado’s windy Wednesday
Hurricane-force winds in Colorado on Wednesday had a major impact across the Denver metro area, Front Range, and foothills. It’s a First Alert Weather Day because of the dangerous conditions.
Gusts of over 100 mph — equivalent to a category 2 hurricane — were reported in some parts of the Front Range, and over 100,000 people were without power as of 7 p.m. On Berthoud Pass, between Empire and Winter Park, wind gusts reached at least 102 mph. They reached 97 mph at Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge in Boulder County, 96 mph in Marshall, and 93 mph in West Arvada.
Several highways were closed, Denver International Airport saw dozens of delays, power lines and other property damage were reported, schools were closed, Denver’s holiday events were canceled, and thousands of homes and businesses were without power after Xcel’s Public Safety Power Shutoff and unplanned outages.
Power shutoff
Xcel Energy was implementing what it calls a Public Safety Shutoff, for only the second time ever in Colorado. An estimated 50,000 people across the Front Range were impacted, mostly in Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld counties.
Restoration for some areas was expected to start around 6 p.m. Wednesday, but many customers told CBS News Colorado that Xcel told them it could be up to three days before their power is restored.
As a result, the Colorado Division of Emergency Management opened charging centers, shelters, and resource centers in the impacted areas.
Xcel said it shut off the power in these areas because of the combination of wind speeds and dry conditions that increase the chance of wildfires.
Once conditions improve, Xcel Energy Colorado President Robert Kenney said crews will begin inspecting lines to determine when power can be restored.
“Once the wind event stops, that does not mean your power will be immediately restored,” he said. “We have several hundred crew members that are already being pre-positioned, that are on standby, so that when the wind event does end, they will be able to immediately begin inspecting the lines. They have to visually inspect the lines for damage before restoring the power.”
Delayed flights
The Federal Aviation Administration called for a ground delay at Denver International Airport from 5 through 8 p.m., although that’s subject to change, based on evolving weather conditions.
As of about 6:30 p.m., 66 flights were delayed, and one was canceled.
Wind gusts were recorded at around 40 mph at the airport around 5 p.m.
School closures
Several school districts — including Jefferson County, Colorado’s second-largest — closed schools, and many also canceled after-school activities.
The University of Colorado cancelled classes, but the Buffs’ basketball game against Portland State is continuing, although fans are not allowed to attend.
Highway closures
Several highways in the foothills near Boulder, as well as in Northern Colorado up to the Wyoming state line, were closed. At least one crash also closed the westbound lanes of Interstate 70 on the Eastern Plains.
Those planned closures included:
- Highway 93 between Boulder and Arvada
- Highway 36 between Boulder and Lyons
- Highway 128 from Superior to Highway 93
- Highway 287 between Ted’s Place and the Wyoming border closed this afternoon, but has since reopened
Damage and other closures
Power lines were reported as having fallen across the Denver metro area, adding to the number of customers without power.
A number of local businesses were also forced to close — some out of caution, others due to a lack of power.
Car and structure windows were also broken by flying debris, like this car in Boulder, whose windows were shattered by small, flying rocks.
Despite losing power around 10 a.m., Ace Hardware in Golden remained open and kept busy, selling generators, flashlights, batteries, and tools and materials to prevent or fix damage.
Some business owners raised concerns about what a days-long outage could mean for their companies, products, and customers.
“We could lose everything,” DeAnn Wieber, owner of the Windy Saddle Cafe in Golden, said. “We could lose all our food, the time that it took to prepare everything, and we just don’t know. And there’s are a lot of businesses going through the same thing.”
Denver, CO
Canceled due to high winds: Wednesday’s drone show, holiday tree, Christkindlmarket
Downtown’s Mile High Drone Show, the Denver Christkindlmarket and access to the Mile High Tree have been canceled for Wednesday, Dec. 17, due to high winds, said producers at Visit Denver.
The city’s tourism arm on Wednesday morning decided to cancel the shows and outdoor holiday market for this evening “due to weather conditions,” as well as cut off access to the 110-foot LED icon known as the Mile High Tree, through which visitors can typically walk and snap selfies.
Denver is forecasted to endure wind gusts of up to 50 mph on Dec. 17, with gusts of up to 75 to 80mph possible in higher elevations. High winds, low humidity and the possibility of wildfire led Xcel Energy to cut power to more than 100,000 Front Range residents by Wednesday morning. Xcel Energy also sponsors the Mile High Tree.
Denver Christkindlmarket is scheduled to run through Dec. 23 at the Auraria Campus.
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