Dazzle Moves Downtown

For 19 years, Denverites searching for an intimate jazz club-experience have flocked to Dazzle on Lincoln. But this May, the iconic venue is relocating from Capitol Hill to the storied Baur’s building on Curtis Street in the Theatre District. According to owner Donald Rossa, the move was mainly prompted by economics: the original location was due for a variety of costly repairs, so it simply made more sense to relocate. The timing was ideal, as the former tenant of the Baur’s building, Baur’s Restaurant & Listening Lounge, was shuttering and the building’s owner, KEW Realty CEO David Spira, is a music lover himself (Spira is also the president of the Music Appreciation Society).

Rossa and Spira won’t mess much with the interior of the historical landmark building—the timeworn black-and-white tile flooring and classic chandeliers are staying—but there will be other changes. Namely, Dazzle is more than doubling in square footage. With all of the new space, Rossa plans to start with two stages and eventually add a third. And with a large, modernized kitchen at its disposal, Dazzle is tapping longtime Piatti Restaurant chef Mario Godoy to reinvigorate the menu. Godoy intends to bring influences from his background in Italian cooking as well as his native Guadalajara. The new location offers a few other big perks, as well: air conditioning, a patio, and ADA compliance.

Eventually, Rossa says that Dazzle may even extend its hours into the daytime to become a coffee shop-esque artists’ hangout. But for now, he’ll simply let the new Dazzle find its rhythm. “We’ll see what people want and let the space develop naturally from there,” he says. “It’s like my child going off to college.”

Dazzle’s original location (930 Lincoln) will close on May 21, and soft openings for Dazzle at Baur’s (1512 Curtis Street) begin on May 24. Baur’s will host a grand opening celebration on June 1.