Monarch, the long-awaited pizza project from Somebody People chef Justin Freeman, has finally locked down a home, and it is a very Denver pairing. The sourdough-focused concept is sliding into the Urban Cowboy boutique hotel in downtown Denver, taking over the small bar, kitchen and stepping into the slot previously held by Little Johnny B's. In that compact, hotel-adjacent space, Freeman is planning sourdough pizzas, pastries and a short, handwritten menu built around a couple of mainstay pies and a rotating cast of specials. He will keep running the kitchen at Somebody People while using a series of pop-ups at the hotel to test-drive Monarch before a fuller opening, part of a growing pattern of chefs linking up with boutique hotels to bring neighborhood-minded food to both visitors and locals.
According to The Denver Post, Monarch will be tucked inside the Urban Cowboy at 1665 Grant St., where it will officially replace Little Johnny B's. The owners of Little Johnny B's, the paper reports, plan to refocus their efforts on their full-kitchen venture Johnny Bechamel. The Post notes that Freeman and co-founder Danny Matthews are set to kick things off with pop-ups at the hotel beginning April 13, 2026, ahead of a full launch, and that Freeman is scheduled to take full-time command of the hotel's wood-fired oven on May 9. Urban Cowboy general manager Nicole Valdez told the outlet she is excited for Monarch's "new, fresh program" in the space.
Monarch has been quietly gathering momentum as a pop-up-first project while Freeman has worked around Denver kitchens. Westword documented early trials of the concept in portable ovens, as the team tinkered with dough and menu ideas. Before that, 5280 highlighted Freeman's sourdough prowess at The Greenwich, where his crusts drew local attention, showing the throughline from those early pies to Monarch's plan for a permanent home base inside the hotel.
Menu and service plans
The team is describing Monarch as a pizzeria meets bistro, with sourdough pizzas and pastries at its core and a deliberately pared-down, handwritten menu. Diners can expect one or two reliable mainstays alongside rotating pies that will change with testing and seasons, according to The Denver Post. Freeman and Matthews plan to use those pop-up nights and the hotel's wood-fired oven as a proving ground, tweaking the dough, pacing and toppings before settling into a regular schedule.
What's next
Pop-ups are slated to begin in mid-April, with details expected to roll out from Monarch and the Urban Cowboy as dates approach. The partners say that stretch will be their chance to dial in everything from the crust to the timing. Once a firm opening night is announced, diners can look for short, tightly edited menus, sourdough pies and a limited selection of bistro-style plates that aim to feed both hotel guests coming downstairs for a bite and neighbors wandering in off Grant Street.
