Interstate Kitchen & Bar closed Sunday after almost a decade in business on Santa Fe Drive.
The retro restaurant that opened in 2009 at Santa Fe and West 10th Avenue announced its closing via Facebook earlier this month.
“It is a point of pride that we have achieved nearly a decade of service at Interstate Kitchen & Bar,” the post read. “We have been honored to contribute in that time to all the wonderful lives we’ve been able to witness.”
Interstate became a late-night destination in the arts district for comfort plates and American whiskeys (there were more than 100 behind the bar).
“We’ve literally been a staple in the district for 10 years,” Jenny Lustig, a longtime restaurant employee, told The Denver Post on Monday. “We’re all a family and we’re heartbroken about it.”
Lustig attributed the closure to rising rents and increasing competition. Interstate’s owners, Aaron and Andre Lobato, were not immediately available for comment.
Pistol Whip is the latest restaurant to open in the neighborhood known for galleries and longstanding eateries like El Noa Noa and El Taco de Mexico. It serves New American food alongside wine and cocktails.
