Anticipation is building over the reopening Thursday of The Palm Restaurant in the Westin Downtown Denver after being closed for a major .
The bar is expanded, with about 50 seats and a lounge, and there are new private dining rooms and a colorful Colorado mural by Philadelphia artist Zack Bird, whose family has created art for The Palm Restaurants across the country for decades.
“Artistically, they wanted to get back to authenticity,” Bird said.
Bird created a 44-foot mural that wraps around the walls, featuring the Denver skyline, mountains, cowboys and “a profound nod to Western artist Maynard Dixon,” he said.
But what people really want to know is about those caricatures — nearly 900 drawings of local and national celebrities who have eaten there.
“They’re all gone. There’s not one left,” said general manger Cathy Cooney. “We’re starting fresh. Over time, we’ll try to get everyone back on the wall.”
Local artist Paul Vismara will paint most of the new caricatures. About 15 to 20 caricatures will be on the wall for the reopening, but they’ll look different.
“They used to be floating heads,” Cooney said, adding that the new images will have “a story behind it.”
“Dan Ritchie is in a cap and gown,” she said of the University of Denver chancellor emeritus.
Beyond that, details are sparse.
“We didn’t want to upset anyone,” Cooney said. “We had to try to decide who goes up first and who goes next to who, if they don’t like each other.”
“Making the wall” has become a point of pride in Palm restaurants across the country, a tradition that dates to 1926, when The Palm Restaurant opened in Manhattan on Second Avenue near the office of King Features Syndicate and drew a large crowd of cartoonists. They often drew their own creations on the walls in exchange for dinner.
Mayor Michael Hancock and Gov. John Hickenlooper will be on the wall for opening day, Cooney said.
Colleen O’Connor: 303-954-1083, coconnor@denverpost.com or @coconnordp
