Cheesman Park’s north edge is about to trade secrecy for espresso. The Carriage House, a European-style café, is moving into the small building beside the historic Tears–McFarlane House later this month, taking over the former Secret Garden spot with an all-day hangout built around coffee, cocktails and park views.
Owners John Goscha and Jake Riederer are rolling the concept out in stages, starting July 28, when the first phase will focus on coffee, sandwiches and pastries before expanding to a full cocktail bar and later hours in September. The team plans to roast local beans on-site, serve pastries from Black Box Bakery and feature a menu co-created with pastry chef Melissa Yanc.
According to the Denver Gazette, the July 28 debut will feature sandwiches, toastettes, salads, coffee, wine and beer, all available for patio or to-go orders. The café sits directly off Cheesman Park and inherits the same coveted patio access as its predecessor. Initial hours are set for 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with plans to keep the lights on through 8 p.m. once the bar program launches in September.
Owners and Team
Goscha, a neighborhood resident and serial entrepreneur with ventures such as Personality AI and Native Voice listed on his LinkedIn, says he wanted to create a place where people actually linger. Co-owner Riederer brings the hospitality chops, with experience from projects like OPEN Sandwiches and other local concepts, as chronicled by 5280.
Menu, Coffee and the Look
The early food lineup, as outlined in the announcement, includes a French onion grilled cheese, a North African tuna pan bagnat, and focaccia toastettes. The space itself is slated for a marble-forward, vintage-parlor makeover, according to the Denver Gazette. Yanc, known for Quail & Condor, a 2025 James Beard semifinalist, co-created the menu with Riederer and is part of the opening team, per Quail & Condor. The café plans to roast beans from Novo Coffee and stock baked goods from Black Box Bakery.
How This Fits After Secret Garden
The Carriage House moves into a location that saw a bumpy exit from its last chapter. The Secret Garden Bar & Café closed abruptly in October 2025 amid worker unionization efforts and conflicting explanations for the shutdown, with employees describing one story and owners pointing to ongoing financial losses. Coverage from Denverite detailed the tension between workers’ claims and management’s statements at the time.
Neighbors who walk the park path and watched that drama unfold say they will be keeping a close eye on the new operators as the space reopens. For their part, Goscha and Riederer say they are taking a deliberate, phased approach so the team can dial in the details, banking on Cheesman Park’s steady foot traffic to support an all-day neighborhood café. If everything stays on track, July 28 will give Denverites their first shot at the new coffee and pastry lineup, with the full evening program slated to follow in September.
