Country Club Village Curse

Being enamored with a strip mall occurs as often as it has rained in Colorado this July. So readers should have taken note when we lauded Country Club Village a few months back. The Westminster shopping center at 120th and Federal had a cool, unique look that attracted numerous interesting businesses.

That has not led to success, however. Pier 49 Pizza closed up shop shortly after opening—no big deal since it wasn’t that good anyway. Another restaurant closed shortly after opening a year back (can’t even remember its name). But, gasp, Nine 75 North, a trendy, small plates eatery featuring upscale comfort food that we loved in print (more than once, actually, three times), closed a few weeks ago. The offshoot of the popular downtown Denver restaurant was supposed to prove Westminster was ready for chic styles and great food.

Instead it proved only that great food doesn’t equate to great foot traffic.

Let’s hope another of our favorites, Village Bistro, the anchor restaurant right next door, can avoid the same fate. Westminster doesn’t have enough good dining options, losing two of its best will hurt.

—Jacob Harkins, Yellow Scene Magazine editor