After 11 years of pouring house-roasted coffee by morning and bourbon by night, the Bluegrass Coffee and Bourbon Lounge is shutting down both of its Arvada locations for good. The Olde Town Arvada flagship on Grandview Avenue closes on October 31, with the Candelas outpost on West 92nd Lane following a day later on November 1.
The closures were confirmed by owners Sheena Gordon and her husband Drew, who are from Kentucky, as reported by WhatNow. The couple did not give a specific reason for ending the business, saying only that life and work had pulled them in new directions and increasingly out of state, according to the outlet.
A Kentucky Outpost in Olde Town
Gordon and Drew opened the original Bluegrass Coffee & Bourbon Lounge in July 2015, according to the restaurant's About page, with the goal of bringing the Arvada community original Kentucky flavor and warm hospitality. The Olde Town location at 7415 Grandview Ave. sits inside a historic building the restaurant describes as 130 years old, while Westword, in its original coverage of the opening, described the same space as 120 years old and most recently a toy store before the conversion. The flagship's interior leaned into its roots with Kentucky whiskey barrels, horse-themed artwork and a back patio that doubled as event space.
The business model split the day in two: a coffee house serving house-roasted beans, pastries and breakfast items each morning, and a bourbon lounge and diner each evening offering southern-inspired dishes, drinks and live music. Westword's original writeup captured that same rhythm, noting the spot opens early for coffee and breakfast sandwiches and keeps the Southern charm flowing into the evening with a well-stocked bourbon selection and a handful of Colorado beers.
Candelas Expansion Brought a Bigger Whiskey List
The business opened a second location in Arvada's Candelas neighborhood in October 2020, per the restaurant's own account, expanding the brand with the same southern hospitality, food and libations. That Candelas location, at 18068 W. 92nd Ln., built out an even larger whiskey selection, offering more than 250 whiskeys alongside beer, wine, cocktails and food. An earlier report from 5280 around the Olde Town opening had put the bourbon count at 100 different selections, reflecting how far the lineup grew over the years.
Over its run, the Bluegrass became a regular stop on Colorado bourbon lists, landing among the Top 99 Bourbon Bars in America for five consecutive years according to Citylifestyle's feature on the bar. The lounge also hosted a steady calendar of themed events, including a crawfish boil, a pig roast, Whiskey Wednesdays and s'mores-and-whiskey nights, which helped cement it as a local destination for food, drinks and a relaxed atmosphere.
Owners Thank Staff and Regulars
In the Instagram post announcing the closures, the owners said the Bluegrass became more than a restaurant over the years and that employees became family, thanking customers and staff for their support ahead of the shutdown. The same post noted the Bluegrass has been recognized as one of the top 80 Bourbon Bars in the country, a distinction the owners highlighted as the lounge winds down.
With the Olde Town doors closing October 31 and Candelas following the next day, Arvada regulars have just a few weeks left to get in a last round of coffee, pizza or bourbon at either address.
