DENVER — A Larimer Street icon will be shutting its doors after 37 years in business. The Market at 1445 Larimer St. will be closing for good, the owner Mark Greenberg announced Tuesday.
The Market’s closure will impact 35 employees, which more than 50% of whom have worked at the deli and bistro for over eight years, according to a news release.
The decision to close the business was not easy and was in the works for quite some time — “but the pandemic certainly sped up the timing,” Greenberg said in the release.
The Market’s history dates back to 1978, when Dana Crawford, who is mostly credited with saving the Larimer block from destruction back in 1965, owned the business. During that period, The Market was a small grocery store.
In 1983, Crawford sold the business to two brothers from New Jersey – Gary and Mark Greenberg. The brothers turned the business into a deli and an espresso bar, which was the first of its kind in Denver at the time, according to the release.
Mark and his wife Andrea have operated the Market since 2000 after the passing of Gary.
“The Market was at the core of the essence of Larimer Square – a true institution that accommodated people from all walks of life. It has been a meeting place for so many of us, and it’s one of the reasons Larimer Square has become such a treasure in our community. We will miss The Market’s presence on the block dearly,” said Jeff Hermanson, CEO of Larimer Associates.
The Market is the first business on Larimer Street to announce it will be permanently shutting down due, in part, to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Many restaurants are struggling to stay in business amid stay-at-home orders. According to the National Restaurant Association, 3% of all restaurants nationwide have closed their doors. That number, according to the association, could jump as high as 11% in just the next few weeks.
