After five years of serving big bowls of red-sauce comfort in the shadow of Coors Field, Carmine’s Italian Restaurant is calling it quits at McGregor Square. The downtown location will serve its last meal this Saturday, while the original Carmine’s on Penn in West Washington Park stays put. The closure pulls the brand back to a single Denver dining room and leaves a founding restaurant space at the LoDo complex up for grabs.
What The Restaurant Announced
In a message on Carmine’s, the team called it “five wonderful years” at McGregor Square and confirmed that this Saturday is the final day of service downtown. The note thanks neighbors and guests for the memories at the ballpark-side spot and directs would-be diners to the flagship West Wash Park restaurant for reservations and private events. The site also keeps phone and email contacts front and center for catering and private parties.
Brand History And Ownership
The original Carmine’s on Penn opened in 1994 and has been a neighborhood standby for decades. As reported by Westword, Brad Ritter worked his way up over nine years as general manager before becoming a minority owner in 2008 and eventually buying the restaurant outright in 2015. He launched Little Carmine’s in 2013 and later took the Carmine’s name downtown in 2021. The West Wash Park spot will keep dishing out the family-style Italian menu that turned Carmine’s into a local fixture.
Why This Matters For McGregor Square
McGregor Square, the open-air entertainment hub next to Coors Field, still includes Carmine’s on its roster of restaurants and is known for drawing big crowds for games, concerts, and public watch parties. The development leans on a mix of full-service dining rooms and quick-service counters to keep the area lively on event nights, so losing a sit-down Italian option reshuffles the playbook for visitors looking for pre- or post-event meals. McGregor Square highlights its evolving lineup of food and entertainment options steps from the ballpark.
Where The Brand Stands Now
The company says the flagship Carmine’s on Penn at 92 S. Pennsylvania St. is staying open, and the West Wash Park restaurant posts hours and reservation details on the Carmine’s on Penn site. Diners who still want to slip in a final visit to the downtown outpost can find the McGregor Square address and contact information on the restaurant’s Carmine’s McGregor Square page. The West Wash Park location lists hours as Tue–Thu 5–9 p.m., Fri–Sat 5–10 p.m., and Sun 4–8 p.m. on its website.
Owner Response And Next Steps
Westword reports that it reached out to owner Brad Ritter for more details on why the McGregor Square restaurant is closing and on any future expansion plans for the brand. The public announcement does not cite a specific reason for the decision. For now, Carmine’s is steering guests toward the West Wash Park flagship and to its catering and reservation contacts listed online.
