It can be hard to tell where a just-opened bar is headed.
The proprietors do their best to create a certain feeling, trying to draw just the right crowd. Sometimes everything works well, and the new bar becomes an old bar, a longtime neighborhood watering hole. Lots of times, however, a carefully crafted ambience just doesn’t work, and the whole thing tanks.
That’s why it’s fun to get in on soft openings — the earliest days of a bar’s existence, before the big grand-opening hoopla. The staff is eager to please. Tables are plentiful. The patio’s not crowded. Anything is possible.
Visiting Stoney’s Bar and Grill (1111 Lincoln St.) on a recent evening, just days after their doors opened for the first time, was one of those soft-opening good times.
Stoney’s reclaimed the former space of Andrew’s, which was the former space of Grenade, which was the former Club Ra. For unknown reasons, the large, one-story building hasn’t been able to hold onto a party place for a long time.
The high turnover makes little sense. Right around the corner are busy nightclubs like Vinyl and Bar Standard. Next door is dance club and lounge Sutra. Capitol Hill hangouts like Charlie Brown’s and City, O’ City are within easy walking distance. It’s not a sleepy, quiet area. And yet, nothing’s been able to stick for very long.
Stoney’s could be the one that works.
“A local kind of place” is the tagline: Stoney’s is a relaxed version of a sports bar, spiked with bro-dude snowboard and skateboard accents. Plenty of flat-screen TVs are scattered about, but they’re not humongous, and the sporty vibe isn’t overwhelming — except maybe over by the giant basketball scoreboard to the left of the bar.
The rest of the space is mostly Colorado- centric. A tiny pond surrounded by fake pine trees anchors one end of the dining area. An old blue gondola from Keystone sits in the main bar. A primitive pair of snowshoes adorns one wall, and a giant map of Loveland Ski Area covers another. The dining area has a stage perfect for live music.
The two themes work well together. Colorado is a sporty place, after all. And by avoiding the beer-pounding, hot-wing-scarfing sports-bar label, Stoney’s opens itself up to other interested drinkers.
On Stoney’s third night open, curious neighborhood folk popped in for a drink. True to Capitol Hill’s eclectic nature, there wasn’t a definite peg to put on the crowd. With so much space to work with — in addition to a large dining room and main bar, a whole other bar serves a separate room at the back — everyone had a cozy nook to call their own.
Even though it was a weeknight, Stoney’s managed to draw an interested, and interesting, crew of customers. Weekends will be different, of course, when rowdy crowds come downtown to party at the clubs. Since Stoney’s is quietly on a soft opening right now, it’s hard to know what the bar will look and feel like in a few months.
Here’s hoping Stoney’s stays calm and cool. Only time will tell.
Stoney’s grand-opening celebration is Sept. 3, featuring live music from the Fox Street Allstars and Filthy Children. The bar and restaurant open on weekdays at 11 a.m., 9 a.m. on weekends.
They’re hot!
The hot ticket tonight is the unveiling of the 2011 Colorado Firefighter Calendar at City Hall (1144 Broadway).
Benefiting the Children’s Hospital Burn Center, the calendar features Colorado firefighters showing their physiques. Tonight’s debut event includes a runway show with the calendar firefighters, calendar signings and plenty of tasty beverages.
General admission tickets are $35 at the door, or $25 in advance. VIP tickets are $75 at the door, $50 in advance. Visit for more information and to purchase tickets.
