Downtown Denver's Upper CBD has been waiting nearly two years for something new to fill the void left when Cheba Hut quietly shuttered its Champa Street location. That wait is almost over. Two Lazy Dogs Bar & Grill — a dog-themed dive bar concept from a trio of first-time restaurant owners — is in the final stretch of its build-out at 1531 Champa St., with workers on site telling Hoodline the doors should swing open in mid-April.
Construction at Two Lazy Dogs window at 1531 Champa St. — Ronnie Abbasi / Hoodline Denver Photojournalist
The concept is the brainchild of business partners Chase Phillips, Steven Sen, and Michael Alvarado. Phillips — an executive adviser to Denver Mayor Mike Johnston — is a first-time restaurant owner who has been public about his mission: give the Central Business District a real dive bar. "Denver deserves a good dive bar downtown, a place that feels comfortable, fun and genuinely welcoming to everyone," Phillips told Westword. "We're building a spot where people can unwind, laugh, meet neighbors and feel connected."
The Space and the Concept
Two Lazy Dogs is moving into 2,500 square feet at 1531 Champa, the former home of the first Denver location of Cheba Hut — an Arizona-founded toasted-sandwich chain that operated there for nearly fifteen years before abruptly closing in May 2024 when its lease expired, per Westword. Staff at the time said they were blindsided by the closure; the space has sat empty ever since. Phillips signed a five-year lease for the space and told BusinessDen the build-out has cost an estimated $500,000.
The "two lazy dogs" of the name are real: Ahsoka, Phillips' own dog, and Ruby, belonging to a friend and former roommate. According to KDVR, the bar will be decorated with dog-themed decor and will feature signature cocktails named after the pair — the Ahsoka(tini) and the Ruby(loma) — plus beer, shots, and a mocktail menu. The bar will also host adoption events with local rescue partners and donate a portion of net profits to animal shelters.
Pots and kitchen equipment visible through the window as the interior build-out nears completion — Ronnie Abbasi / Hoodline Denver Photojournalist
The Menu: Affordable on Purpose
The food menu leans into classic bar fare with a personal twist. According to BusinessDen, expect burgers, an onion-topped hot dog, and street tacos alongside smoked wings and brisket made from Phillips' father's Texas-style recipes — his dad once ran a Vietnamese barbecue joint in Denver in the early 2000s. Price point is a stated priority: Phillips told BusinessDen he's targeting most items at or around the $10 range, with the bar positioned as a genuine hangout for downtown workers and neighborhood residents rather than a tourist-facing concept.
The bar will be open Sunday through Wednesday until midnight and Thursday through Saturday until 2 a.m., per Westword. Free pool and darts, a TouchTunes jukebox, and the signature "Dog Bowl Thursday" — where drinking your beer from a branded dog bowl earns you that beer for free — round out the experience.
Running Behind, But Close
Two Lazy Dogs was originally targeting a late February or early March 2026 opening, according to Westword. That timeline slipped — in part because Phillips applied for Downtown Development Authority funding to help cover kitchen equipment costs and was turned down, per BusinessDen, forcing him to roll those costs into equipment loans. Construction photos taken this week show a storefront that looks very close to ready: steel pots lined in the window display, an open roll-up door revealing a lit corridor, and fresh tile work on the entry — all the signs of a kitchen getting its final touches.
Workers on site told Hoodline the mid-April target is still on track. The bar sits just steps from the 16th Street Mall, between a stretch of Little India restaurants and a nearby escape room venue — a high foot-traffic block that, once the doors open, should give Two Lazy Dogs a solid built-in audience from day one. Hoodline SF reached out to Two Lazy Dogs for a statement and had not received a response at time of publication.
