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I was pretty bummed out when the Rocky Mountain Diner shut its doors in February—the popular eatery had been dishing up amazing fried chicken and comfort food for more than two decades. Then, the joint Wynkoop/Breckenridge Brewing venture bought the diner’s home, the Ghost Building, and I held out hope: Would the diner be revived?
Sadly, that wasn’t to be. But Wynkoop and Breck are working on their own restaurant, slated to open in July. The eatery, which is nameless so far, will boast 24 taps of Colorado and American craft beers, as well as menu favorites from other Wynkoop and Breck establishments—a greatest hits of comfort food. (My menu nominations: smoked wings from Breckenridge Brewery & BBQ, cheese steak from Wazee Supper Club, and fish and chips from Wynkoop). Marty Jones, Wynkoop’s spokesman, says the name is still being determined, but the “new handle will certainly recognize the building’s architectural glory and history, and the beer and food wonders inside.”
Readers: Tweet your food and name nominations to me, and I’ll pass them on to Jones.
The Ghost Building has a pretty impressive backstory itself: The original structure was built in 1889 near 15th Street and Glenarm Place, then was deconstructed in 1979. The stone facade sat in storage for six years before being rebuilt in 1985 at its current location, 18th and Stout streets. It was little surprise, then, that Wynkoop scooped it up: The company has long favored historic buildings, starting with the John Hickenlooper-led opening of the original brewery in the J.S. Brown Mercantile Building in 1988. “The Ghost Building project continues our tradition of making sure that grand, historic buildings continue to be vibrant, relevant cornerstones of the community,” says Jones. “We now have the great honor of continuing [the Ghost Building’s] history and making sure that smiling people keep strolling across its threshold.”