Jordy’s BBQ plans to move from its mobile setup into the former Raíces Brewing Company space at 2600 West Colfax Avenue. The Central Texas-style barbecue operation, founded by David Haskia, is planning a 6,100-square-foot sports bar and barbecue concept at the riverfront STEAM on the Platte campus.
Haskia told Westword that he had been doing the food-truck business for three years as of October 2026, serving barbecue from a trailer with a custom-made smoker special-ordered from Texas. The business built a following through pop-ups at breweries and beer gardens in Golden, Louisville, and Denver’s RiNo neighborhood.
From Trailer Smoker to Stationary Pits
The restaurant buildout is currently in the permit and licensing stage, with the commercial kitchen expected to take two or three months to complete, per the same account. While the food truck has relied on a small smoker for pop-ups and mobile events, Jordy's BBQ has spent the past year and a half running two thousand-gallon stationary smokers near a commissary kitchen. Those smokers will be relocated to the new Colfax location and will form the foundation of the restaurant's barbecue program.
The restaurant is expected to keep its Central Texas-style brisket and add items such as fries and wings, with plans for family-friendly and game-day offerings near Empower Field at Mile High. Haskia told Westword that the truck would continue catering and private events, though its public appearances would become less frequent as the restaurant opens. He eventually plans to focus on the restaurant.
A Riverfront Building With a Complicated Recent Past
The building Jordy's is moving into carries its own history. Constructed on the foundation of a former synagogue structure, it later operated as an auto repair facility before being repurposed for food and beverage use, according to the Denver Architecture Foundation, which notes the structure features a distinctive bowstring truss roof. Raíces Brewing had operated at the site since 2016, becoming a hub for Denver's Latino community before its abrupt closure almost exactly a year before Jordy's announcement.
Raíces cited unexpected charges from the City of Denver's Department of Taxation when it shut down. 9News reported that its total city tax liability was $98,703.48 in unpaid sales taxes, while the business personal property tax owed was $10,765.02. Colorado law exempts small businesses from personal property tax if the market value of their equipment stays under $56,000 per county, but requires annual declarations above that threshold, according to tax advisory firm WhippleWood. Hoodline's prior coverage detailed how that tax dispute forced Raíces out and left the riverfront building vacant within the STEAM on the Platte campus.
Redevelopment Pressure Builds Near the River
The Colfax project is unfolding amid separate redevelopment activity near Sun Valley and Empower Field at Mile High. In March 2026, real estate firm Weins Development Group moved to acquire land surrounding STEAM on the Platte to pursue a riverfront redevelopment that could include housing, recreational space, and dining options, according to Hoodline. The campus includes a former industrial soap factory and rag-baling warehouse; the Bremer’s Soap Factory and rag-baling building at 1401 Zuni Street is listed as 55,000 square feet by the Denver Architecture Foundation.
How the Sun Valley plans differ
The information cited here says WDG moved to acquire land around STEAM on the Platte to pursue redevelopment, but does not identify the specific parcels or document approvals for that proposal. Separately, the Denver Housing Authority says its Sun Valley redevelopment is replacing 333 public-housing units with 940 new homes intended to serve upwards of 2,500 residents, according to the Denver Housing Authority. Another separate initiative is Riverfront Park: CBS Colorado reported that construction on the first 5.5 acres of the planned 11-acre park was expected to begin in 2026.
Mama Jo’s Chicken, Biscuits and BBQ has also faced financial pressure. That pressure illustrates the challenges food businesses can face.
Not every mobile vendor in the city has had an easy run lately. Iron Age BBQ temporarily closed after multiple vandalism incidents, Maiz returned to food trucking after closing its location in the Assembly student living building, and Mama Jo's Chicken, Biscuits and BBQ recently asked fans for support during a financial lull, Westword reported. Against that backdrop, Jordy's is betting its three years of food-truck operation and a riverfront building can carry it into a permanent home.
