The W, a cocktail bar and burger joint at 5001 E. Colfax Ave. in South Park Hill, quietly poured its last drinks on Sunday, May 24, roughly two years after opening. Owners Carrie and Ernest Wigglesworth announced on Instagram that months of trying to make the numbers work had fallen short in tough economic conditions. The sudden shutdown leaves the distinctive green-tiled corner empty and adds yet another closure to the string of small-business losses along East Colfax.
Owners Announced The Shutdown On Instagram
According to The Denver Post, the Wigglesworths told followers that May 24 would be the bar’s final day of service, explaining that the business had simply become unsustainable in the current economy. The Post reported that the couple, who lived in the neighborhood, did not immediately share what might come next for them or for the space.
Short Run In A Building With A Longer History
The W opened in 2024 in the green-tiled former Weiss Drugs building, stepping into a corner that has seen a quick turnover of tenants, including Crush Wing + Tap and the Elm, as noted by Westword. The Wigglesworths pitched the concept as a neighborhood spot built around burgers, cocktails, family recipes, and a small, approachable wine list.
Construction And Falling Foot Traffic Hurt Sales
Local coverage has linked The W’s struggles to the multiyear East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit construction project and the slower foot traffic that has come with it. Front Porch NE reported the bar and restaurant saw sales drop by about 50 percent as work moved through the corridor, prompting the owners to cut back operating days and staff. Even after promotions and community nights aimed at drawing regulars back to the corner, revenue never fully rebounded.
Neighbors And Business Groups Weigh In
For business advocates, the W’s exit is part of a larger worry about how long smaller operators along Colfax can hold on while construction reshapes the street. "It's a very resilient group of people doing business on Colfax," executive director Hilarie Portell told Front Porch NE, even as she acknowledged the prolonged strain that barricades, closed lanes, and shifting access have placed on merchants up and down the corridor.
What’s Next For The Corner
As of the Denver Post report, there was no word on who might take over the green-tiled space at Colfax and Elm, and property owners and potential tenants had not gone public with any plans. For now, the darkened windows at The W stand as one more reminder of how tight the margins have become for small restaurants in Denver’s rapidly changing neighborhoods.
