The former Stapleton Airport control tower, which has been vacant since the airport shut down in 1995, is in the final stages of being transformed into the eat, drink and be merry hotspot Punch Bowl Social.
The second Denver outpost of PBS is set to open in late October, according to founder and CEO Robert Thompson, and this location will be very different from the South Broadway spot. For one, there will be lots of outdoor space — 14,000 square feet of bocce courts, patios, picnic seating and a bar. Then there’s the fact that it’s in an air traffic control tower, which is, you know, pretty different.
“My intent is for Punch Bowl Social to become an iconic American brand that closely identifies with our Colorado roots,” Thompson said. “The former Stapleton Airport control tower intersects perfectly with this vision because it is already an iconic landmark in the state. For our team to have been invited to step in and preserve this iconic piece of Colorado’s history has been a great honor that we look forward to sharing with the community.”
While the new PBS won’t actually take over the entire 12-story tower, the bars, restaurant and six bowling lanes will be housed in the first two floors. (The tower is not yet ADA compliant, but the door remains open for future vertical endeavors.)
Since opening the original PBS in 2012, Thompson has had plenty of practice at refining his brainchild’s fun factor. There are now Socials all over the country, with 10 more in the works, which means that this little eatertainment concept isn’t so little anymore. The third floor of the Stapleton tower will serve as corporate PBS HQ once it opens in late October.
The restaurant will host weekly
Punch Bowl Social Stapleton: 3120 N. Uinta St., Denver, 303-765-2695; .
