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
Denver weather: Nearing record highs again
DENVER (KDVR) – Denver and the Plains will see extra clouds Thursday with isolated storm out east and warm highs along the Front Range.
Weather today: Partly cloudy and warm
Clouds kept temperatures mild this morning and pockets of sunshine through the afternoon help us warm to the middle 80s.
We will be very close to tying a daily record high, but a light northerly breeze should stop us from hitting 87. The Eastern Plains can also see some isolated storms in the afternoon. There are also some Red Flag Warnings in the state, winds will be at 10-20 mph with gusts to 40 mph, avoid any burning or open flames in these areas.
Weather tonight: Lingering clouds
Partly cloudy skies through the day will stick with us tonight. Overnight lows will dip into the low 50s with a lighter wind.
Looking ahead: Cooler weekend with shower chances
Friday rounds out the workweek with partly to mainly sunny skies and comfy highs in the lower 80s. Saturday looks comfy as well with partly cloudy skies, highs in the upper 70s and afternoon storm chances. Sundayis still mild as highs hit the middle 70s, but clouds increase through the day with showers and storms in the evening hours. That rain can linger overnight and into Monday.
Monday has showers through the day and maybe a few flakes in the high country. Highs on Monday will be in the lower 60s with a breeze and cloudy skies. Shower chances linger into Tuesday with below average highs in the lower 60s with cloudy skies. Wednesday has smaller storm chances and a bit more sunshine as seasonal highs make it to the lower 70s.
Denver, CO
Two Denver police vehicles hit by separate drivers during traffic stop
DENVER (KDVR) — Two Denver police vehicles were hit by separate drivers during a traffic stop last week, according to a social media post from the Denver Police Department.
On May 7, officers responded to a crash on northbound Interstate 25 near the exit for Alameda Avenue.
The officers were parked with their emergency lights on to direct the traffic away from the scene of the crash. Despite the lights being on, two separate vehicles crashed into the officers’ vehicles.
One driver caused minor damage to a Denver police vehicle and was cited for careless driving. The second driver caused extensive damage to a police vehicle and was cited for careless driving, as well as arrested for allegedly driving under the influence during the crash.
Officers were in their vehicles during the incident, with one uninjured and the other taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
“Traffic safety is a shared responsibility! If you come upon flashing lights, emergency vehicles, tow trucks, or disabled vehicles while driving, move over at least one lane or slow down if it’s not safe to move over. And don’t drive under the influence,” said the department in the post.
Denver, CO
Denver testing outdoor sirens, emergency alert system this week
Denver’s outdoor warning sirens will sound for three minutes on Wednesday morning as officials test the city’s emergency systems.
All 86 outdoor sirens are scheduled to go off at 11 a.m., and at the same time the wireless emergency alert system will send a test text message to all mobile phones in Denver.
People in neighboring counties may also receive the emergency alert message, the Denver Office of Emergency Management said in a statement.
“Speed and clarity are critical in an emergency,” Executive Director Matthew Mueller said in a statement. “This test helps ensure Denver can deliver alerts across multiple platforms, so people know what to do right away.”
Denver officials have mistakenly sent emergency alerts about isolated police activity to the entire city twice in recent months — once in January when a person was barricaded near the University of Denver and once in April when two armed robbery suspects ran into a nearby home in Ruby Hill.
Denver emergency response officials may start using the outdoor sirens more often, including for destructive thunderstorms or flash flooding, instead of just for tornado warnings, city leaders said in a news release.
While Denverites don’t need to take any action during the test on Wednesday, the sirens are usually a sign to seek shelter indoors immediately and check for updates from the city and local news outlets, according to Denver officials.
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