Interview with Kim Reuter, owner
Q: How did you get involved in this business?
A: It began at an entirely different establishment, one that my wife, Carol, and I built and operated together. I had built and worked a number of bars (16 total) and restaurants over the years, but this was Carol’s first experience and she took to it as if it were second nature. Over a two-year period, we built the establishment up to become one of the premier bourbon bars in downtown Denver. During that time, we hired a bartender named Kristina. An introduction to her husband, Patrick, following suit, and a friendship between the Reuters and Morellis began. We then decided to put the downtown bar behind us and think about something closer to home that we could make our own. We had our eyes on a couple of unique properties that had yet to come to market. While Carol felt confident that one of the properties would one day be ours, no one knew that day would come too late. Carol unexpectedly became ill. She soldiered on until the pain became debilitating and was rushed to the emergency room. Six days later, Carol passed away peacefully in her sleep with friends and family around her. Though everything was different now, I never let go of the phrase that Carol once said in passing: “We are going to own one of those properties some day,” and when an opportunity showed itself, I asked Patrick if he would join me and turn an old transmission shop into something special. I honor my late wife with her maiden name on the building — DeMarra.
Q: What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category?
A: We are a mixologist bourbon bar. We barrel-age our Manhattans and Old-Fashioneds. We take pride in our service and are proud of all of our in-house menu items.
Q: What do you like best about your line of work?
A: Pleasing our guests with a good, old-fashioned drink and hospitality.
Q: What is your business’ biggest challenge?
A: To keep everybody pleased.
Q: Something people might be surprised to learn about you or your business:
A: We have exceptional hand-crafted food and beverages.
Profile
Business: DeMarra
Address: 11100 W. Alameda Ave., Lakewood
Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday
Founded: 2015
Contact: 720-475-1151;
Employees: 20
