Opening Alert: Dead Battery Club

For Lisa Ruskaup, merging the aesthetic of shiny-new and gritty-old Denver is a central tenet of her businesses. Examples A and B: The Mile High City native is best known for Carbon Café & Bar and Habit Doughnut Dispensary, which reside in—and in many ways, pay homage to—the former Paris on the Platte space (a coffeehouse loved by creative types) in LoHi. Ruskaup’s latest project, Dead Battery Club, located in the brand new WeWork building on Platte Street, continues the theme of honoring the Denver of centuries’ past.

Above rich turquoise banquettes and oversize red velvet chairs, Ruskaup hung blown-up 1800s photographs of the 15th Street viaduct, giving the annexlike space a splash of local history. A nod to new Denver: A yet-to-be-completed art installation made out of up-cycled electronics. The name of the cafe-bar is a play on the Deadbeat Club, a Denver institution in the ‘90s. While Ruskaup hopes the laptop-toting crowd will flock to her cozy new spot for espresso drinks, juice shots, and Habit pastries by day, she also hopes it will serve as a place for folks to unplug and recharge into the evening hours.

Ruskaup plans to serve the booming Platte Street neighborhood with a concise menu curated by former Table 6 and Session Kitchen chef Scott Parker. While there’s no proper kitchen, you’d never know it from Parker’s savory buns, stuffed with the likes of jamón and Manchego and breakfast sausage. Mediterranean-influenced starters, such as Sweet Chili Charred Sherry Mushrooms and Wine Peppers, pair nicely with selections from the longer-than-you’d-expect list of wine, beer, and cocktails. Tucked behind Denver Beer Co., Dead Battery Club aims to be a welcoming respite for all Denverites, whether you’ve been here for five minutes or 50 years.

2420 17th St., Ste. 103, 303-477-2444