On Thursday, October 8, crews started tearing down the building at 2922 Baseline Road that had been the Dark Horse for 51 years. People stood nearby taking photos and video as it came down, according to the Daily Camera's photo report.
The next afternoon, the same paper reported that The Kitchen on Pearl Street had been sold to Boulder restaurateur Bryan Dayton. The new owner's plan was "business as usual."
Those two stories, a day apart, follow the same pattern as the other longtime Boulder food and drink changes reported over the past year. When a longtime spot kept its building, it went on under a new owner, often someone already inside the business. When the building was claimed by redevelopment or a city plan, the business was left unsure of what came next, however loyal its regulars were.
Three Handoffs, Three Unchanged Addresses
The Kitchen opened on Pearl Street in 2004 with chef Hugo Matheson. Dayton's Half Eaten Cookie Hospitality already owns OAK at Fourteenth at 1400 Pearl St. and Corrida at 1023 Walnut St. So the sale puts three well-known downtown dining rooms under one local group, all within a few blocks. The group also runs C Bar, C Burger, and Cinq à Sept, the French bistro that opened in north Boulder this summer.
Dayton told the Daily Camera there would be no major changes to the spaces, staff, or menus, though there might be "some tweaks." He described The Kitchen this way:
"They have a great foundation and I'm happy to take that torch forward. They've always been a big advocate of great agriculture and ranching practices, and I think that it's an amazing cornerstone of our community."
The one change he described is about sourcing. Dayton and chef Samuel McCandless run Corrida Cattle Company, which supplies beef to the group's restaurants. He said he'll "definitely start looking at ways to incorporate some of our rancher relationships into The Kitchen in the future."
Farther up the mall, Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant at 1710 Pearl St. went through a similar handoff in August. As it marked 20 years, Boulder Weekly reported that ownership was passing from Three Leaf Concepts to executive chef Lauren Rosellini, who has run the kitchen since 2024. The restaurant said it would keep its vegetarian, plant-forward, local-sourcing focus. Rosellini said she was "excited and thankful" to take on a bigger role in the community. Leaf's own website still lists dinner, happy hour, and weekend brunch.
The third handoff happened in east Boulder. Sanitas Brewing closed its taproom at 3550 Frontier Ave. in December after 12 years. Co-founder Michael Memsic told Boulder Reporting Lab that the brewery had run "so lean" it was in "survival mode." He didn't leave the space. His new brewery, Pattern Break Brewing, signed a five-year lease, even though the building is slated for eventual redevelopment, and opened in the same taproom on May 8, as Boulder Weekly confirmed in August. Boulder's visitor bureau listed a recurring BREAKfast event there through October 12.
In all three cases, the new owner came from inside the business or from someone already running restaurants nearby. None of them had to find a new address.
When the Building Goes First
The Dark Horse shows the other side. It didn't close because of how it was run. Boulder Reporting Lab reported in February that the Williams Village II redevelopment required tearing down the building. The approved plan calls for 427 housing units, commercial space, and a redesigned layout on the old shopping center property. In their public message, quoted by Boulder Reporting Lab, the bar's owners called the closure "not the path we would have chosen."
The plan was to move. In April, Axios Boulder reported that the operators wanted to reopen near U.S. 36 and McCaslin Boulevard in Louisville by football season. Operations director Chris Verrips said the new bar would keep "the same name, the same charm" and, he hoped, most of the staff. Manager Sean James told the Daily Camera the goal was to reopen "ASAP" in the old Outback Steakhouse building and bring over as much memorabilia as possible.
By September 24, Axios reported that the football-season target had passed. The operators hadn't answered recent requests for comment or posted an update since spring, and the bar's website still just said it was closed. Axios wrote that "when or whether" the Dark Horse reopens is unclear. The Daily Camera's demolition photos on October 8 still described the Louisville move as planned, but gave no opening date.
Mustard's Last Stand at 1719 Broadway is in a similar spot. The hot dog stand dates to 1978. The Daily Camera reported in April that it has to leave its longtime building. Boulder Reporting Lab reported that the city envisions parkland and a "nature hub" on the site, that Mustard's must be out by mid-2027, and that it had no commitment from the city for a new location.
The city's Civic Area East Bookend page lists Mustard's Last Stand, Inc. among the businesses interested in the project, with a stated interest in running a fast-casual restaurant. That's a statement of interest, not an agreement. The city's request for development proposals is open until October 30, 2026, at 4 p.m. Boulder Reporting Lab reported that specific uses for the East Bookend won't be decided until 2027 or later.
Breadworks Bakery & Cafe at 2644 Broadway closed in November 2025 after 30 years, and the reason was the lease. Founder Larry Domnitz told Axios Boulder the landlord wanted a longer lease than he could commit to, and "the timing just wasn't right."
Where Things Stand in Mid-October
| Business | Address | Open since | What changed | Status as of Oct. 12, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Kitchen | Pearl Street | 2004 | Sold to Half Eaten Cookie Hospitality | Open, sale announced Oct. 9 |
| Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant | 1710 Pearl St. | 20th year in 2026 | Ownership passing to chef Lauren Rosellini | Open |
| Pattern Break Brewing | 3550 Frontier Ave. | Opened May 8, 2026 | Replaced Sanitas, founded 2013, same co-founder | Open |
| Dark Horse | 2922 Baseline Rd. | 51 years in Boulder | Closed March 14; building demolished Oct. 8 | Louisville reopening unconfirmed |
| Mustard's Last Stand | 1719 Broadway | 1978 | Must vacate by mid-2027 | Open; new location unsettled |
| Breadworks Bakery & Cafe | 2644 Broadway | 1995 | Closed November 2025 | Closed |
One older story fits the same pattern. Half Fast Subs, at 1215 13th St. since 1996, shut down in January 2025 after an electrical fire above the shop caused water damage. It reopened at the same address on September 8, 2025, as the Daily Camera reported.
An Old Building Gets a New Tenant on Arapahoe
The same Axios report from September 24 covers a building going the other direction. BuffHouse, an upscale CU-themed sports bar, is moving into the former Harpo's and Ralphie's building at 2860 Arapahoe Ave. It's now aiming for November, after first targeting August or September. Co-owner Joe Manzanares said the delay came from deciding to expand the building's outdated bathrooms and add a pizza oven. Plans went to the city for permitting in mid-September.
"We wanted to make sure that being the official partner with CU that we did it right the first time," Manzanares told Axios. "It will be worth the wait." If BuffHouse hits November, Boulder gets a dedicated sports bar back before football season ends.
Here's what's coming up. Proposals for the Civic Area East Bookend are due October 30. BuffHouse is aiming for November. Mustard's Last Stand has until mid-2027 to leave 1719 Broadway. Meanwhile, The Kitchen, Leaf, and the old Sanitas taproom are serving at their usual addresses under owners who already knew the places well.
At The Niwot Group, we've watched Boulder County properties change hands since 1986. If you've held your Boulder home a long time and want to know what it's worth in today's market, ask us for a free home valuation and we'll go through it with you.
