Delores Cousins Williams Webster, who died Dec. 16 at age 96, was among the founders of Kapre Lounge and Fried Chicken, a Five Points landmark celebrated for more than 45 years for its signature chicken and piquant catfish, as well as the popular bar Webster managed.
Born in Globeville on Aug. 21, 1909, to Charles L. and Alta Craig Cousins, owners of the Arcade Drugstore, she was the third of six children. Upon graduating from Manual High School, she began working at her father’s business.
The Arcade Drugstore was an institution in itself, with a modern soda fountain and cafe, a barbershop and beauty salon, and a cleaning, pressing and tailoring business. Webster’s long hours there honed her business skills.
She married in 1934 and moved with her husband to Chicago. The marriage ended in divorce.
When Webster returned to Denver, she joined her friend Wilford Thomas to open the Kapre Lounge in Five Points, making Webster among Denver’s first African-American women to own a bar.
Her charismatic personality and sharp sense of fashion drew men and women to the Kapre. Webster knew most of the patrons by name and enjoyed chatting with them. Apart from an occasional glass of wine at dinner, she rarely drank much alcohol herself.
The Kapre, in the heart of the predominantly African-American business district, swiftly established a reputation for its excellent fried chicken.
Sixty-nine cents bought eight pieces of chicken, still sizzling from the deep fryer, along with fries and hot sauce. White people who rarely ventured to Five Points made pilgrimages to the Kapre for chicken, catfish and fried gizzards. The long lines usually included clients from the neighboring beauty salon, their hair still coated with relaxing cream.
By 1964, with the Kapre Lounge solidly established as a community fixture, Webster retired. She spent her time with the Del Ora Club, a prestigious African-American social group, and orchestrated dinner parties where the menu rarely included fried chicken, said her brother, Craig Cousins.
The Kapre Lounge’s success helped finance the international trips that Webster enjoyed. She visited every continent except Australia and Antarctica and particularly relished cruises.
Webster was in her dotage when the Kapre began suffering a downward spiral fueled by tax problems and interfamily feuding. The restaurant closed in 2003.
Daughter Beverly Jean Alexander and grandson Kevin Alexander preceded her in death. Survivors include one granddaughter and one great-granddaughter.
Staff writer Claire Martin can be reached at 303-820-1477 or cmartin@denverpost.com.
