The Greenlight Lab Reinvents the Bar Genre

Tomorrow, July 14, marks Liv Studio’s seventh anniversary. To mark the occasion, the architecture and design firm behind many of Denver’s design-forward restaurants, is opening a bar. But the Greenlight Lab won’t be just another bar, it will also be a living design laboratory.

“We do so many restaurants and bars,” says Brandon Anderson, principal and co-owner of Liv, “that we’re putting in a test lab.” Greenlight, the entrance of which sits in the alley behind Denver Central Market, will function as a testing ground for the Liv crew to assess how furniture, lighting, materials, and ideas fare in the real world: How does the $50 chair wear in comparison to the $300 chair? What’s the staying power of that sputnik-like light fixture? And as a bar-goer, you’ll get to weigh in. “When you sit down we’ll give you a packet, and you can rate the stuff around you,” Anderson says.

With Dustin Lawler—previously of the Kitchen and 5280’s best bartender in 2015—overseeing the beverage program, the cocktails promise to be as strong and creative as the design. “Greenlight is a playground,” says Anderson. “We’re giving Dustin that license as well. He’ll have a beta menu and he’ll be testing things out all the time.”

Greenlight is set to host a soft opening party shortly, but will officially open to the public the weekend of July 21. Tip: There’s no sign, just a green light above the door.

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