Triple Tree Cafe to Open in Cap Hill

Naomi De La Torre’s favorite aspect of her job as a nurse is the human connection she is able to foster with patients. It’s the same feeling she hopes to infuse into her latest undertaking: opening Triple Tree Cafe. The venue takes over longstanding Caffe Sanora’s CO 40 on the corner of East Colfax Avenue and North Marion Street.

Though she’s never owned her own business or managed a restaurant, De La Torre worked in restaurants and bars during college and has served in management positions throughout her nursing career (she’ll still pick up shifts here and there to maintain her license).

The 27-year-old and her business partner, Paula Horwitz, are designing breakfast, brunch, and lunch menus showcasing global street foods that are light, affordable, and easy to take to-go. Think: build-your-own oatmeal in the morning and Thai spring roll sliders in the afternoon. Beyond the typical coffee options, De La Torre will offer tea lattes. “They’re pretty traditional around the world,” she says.

The food and the aesthetics are intended to display the duo’s passions for motorcycle riding and traveling. “There are several moto-cafes across the U.S., but none in Denver,” De La Torre says. “I figured it was time to seize the moment.” When she heard Caffe Sanora’s owner was thinking of selling, she approached him. That was in May. She signed the papers last week, and Triple Tree—which is closed this week for a small remodel and fresh coat of paint—officially opens on Sunday, September 17.

The opening menu will include a streamlined selection of the former eatery’s most popular salad and sandwich options; De La Torre and Horwitz asked for feedback from Caffe Sanora regulars before cutting it down. They plan to roll out the revamped menu on October 1, and add an evening tapas menu soon after. Those will pair with wines and beers, including monthly tap takeovers featuring breweries from around the country. They’ll also continue the wholesale bakery business, which provides treats to Tattered Cover Book Store’s Colfax and LoDo locations.

1201 E. Colfax Ave., 303-860-7511