A pair of Pennsylvania transplants with fan-favorite Philly cheesesteaks have planted their flag in the Art District on Santa Fe and are looking to open their doors to customers by spring 2027.
Jawnie’s Cheesesteak Co., 674 Santa Fe Dr., will stay open until midnight on the weekends for anyone in need of a fast-food fix, said 37-year-old co-founder Chris Sempeles.
It’s taken more than a year for Sempeles and his business partner, Kyle Pellman, to gather permits and build out the restaurant. The pair currently sell their cheesesteaks from a food truck outside of Meier Skis on South Broadway, which is open for dinner during the latter half of the week. As a side hustle, they rent out the truck to other vendors.
Late hours and quick eats are intrinsic to Jawnie’s owners, both of whom grew up in Pennsylvania before moving to Denver and launching their rental business in 2019. (Pellman returned to Pennsylvania, Sempeles said.) Sempeles, who is from Harrisburg, PA, is following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and great-grandfather, all of whom opened restaurants, he said.
Jawnie’s original name, Guilty Pleasures Grub, dug knowingly into the “sinful food” label that greasy spoons tend to provide anyone stumbling home after a night out.
“You leave the bar, I feel like Denver’s food scene closes relatively early compared to the East Coast,” said Sempeles, a gray Philadelphia Eagles “Super Bowl Champions” cap on his head. The mission became serving “that food you hate to love” — or in other words, “Colorado’s most authentic cheesesteak.”
It took more than a year to find the right bread, he said. They did, from a local baker with Pennsylvania roots he would not name publicly. “That’s kind of like my secret sauce.”
They changed the name to Jawnie’s Cheesesteak Co. in advance of the restaurant’s opening. “Jawn,” a bit of Philadelphia slang, is used as a general reference to nearly anything in conversation.
The food truck’s kitchen is led by Lex Mendez. The menu includes a Philly cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz and onions ($17, upgradable with peppers and mushrooms for $1 more). The vegetarian version ($14) skips the beef, while the “bowl” ($15) skips the bread. The fries ($6) can also be loaded with the cheesesteak toppings ($11).
Sempeles said he expects the brick-and-mortar location to “be heavily grab-and-go,” with bar seating and a pick-up window.
Though it may seem like a sliver of real estate, the property extends toward the alley. Jawnie’s expects to convert the back half into a commissary they can then rent out ghost kitchens as they do with the truck, Sempeles said.
It was good luck that, after moving into a neighborhood they saw as strong for business, the Denver Broncos chose Burnham Yard west of La Alma-Lincoln Park as the site for their next stadium, he said. Denver Water replaced the water pipes outside of Jawnie’s earlier this year, one of several upgrades planned for Santa Fe Drive in advance of the team’s relocation.
Jawnie’s will open at 11 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday and close at 9 p.m., except on Friday and Saturday, when Sempeles said they expect to serve until midnight.
