When word spread that White Fence Farm — an iconic Lakewood family restaurant known for its rustic setting, petting zoo and year-round Christmas shop — was closing at the end of the year, fans of the quaint eatery turned out Friday evening to get at least one more fried chicken dinner.
Young and old made up the line that stretched out the door.
Erin Sim, of Lakewood, was standing in line, and she turned up specifically because she heard the restaurant that’s been in business for 45 years was closing on Dec. 30.
“It’s one of my favorite restaurants. I’ve come here since I was a kid. I come here every birthday,” she said. “I’m super sad.”
Co-owner Craig Caldwell said in a statement Friday that the restaurant has been operating at a net monthly loss for a while and “we can no longer operate in this capacity.”
The tight labor market that has put the squeeze on restaurants across the Denver area has been a major problem for White Fence Farm, too, Caldwell said.
“We require 100-plus employees on weekends and it was becoming nearly impossible to staff the restaurant with qualified staff. We wish we could have kept this tradition open longer, but it was apparent that the changing demographics of our market were having an impact on revenue year over year,” Caldwell said.
All the employees have been notified of the closure, Caldwell said. The animals in the petting zoo have been adopted and will be moved when the restaurant closes.
The Denver Train Club, which is at White Fence Farm, is looking for a new site.
The restaurant’s original owner, , who founded the business on the site of a working farm, told KCNC-TV that he was sorry to hear of its closing.
White Fence Farm is the latest among longtime, high-profile restaurants to call it quits in the midst of the metro area’s booming restaurant scene. Higher expenses, a higher minimum wage and competition from new restaurants were among the reasons the owners of four longtime Denver restaurants gave in September for their decision to close their eateries’ doors. Premier Ventures Inc. closed the Paramount Cafe and is shutting down Govnr’s Park Tavern, Marlowe’s and Lala’s Wine Bar + Pizzeria by the end of the year.
Another downtown Denver dining institution, The Old Spaghetti Factory, closed in mid-September.
“Some of my members have told me they have never seen it so difficult as it is right now to run their business,” said Carolyn Livingston, spokeswoman for the Colorado Restaurant Association.
Changing tastes and demographics are some of the contributing factors, Livingston said, as well as a low unemployment rate that creates competition with other industries that pay more.
Co-owner Caldwell said thousands of items in the White Fence Farm’s shops will be on sale as the site gets ready to close by the end of the year.
Anna Dominguez, her two sisters and mother walked around the grounds Friday night looking at the old farm equipment and buildings. It was their first time visiting White Fence Farms.
“Tonight, we just happened to be coming here, and we heard the news that it was closing,” Dominguez said. She was looking forward to trying the fried chicken, which a co-worker had recommended because it is “amazing.”
Sim, who was standing in the line that spilled out the door, said she has had fun over the years bringing her daughter and nieces to the unique setting.
“I’ll have to come more times before it closes,” she said.
