Patsy's Inn, 'Denver's oldest Italian restaurant,' closes after 95 years

DENVER -- Kim DeLancey Cito held back tears as she vividly remembered countless stories of people who have passed through Patsy's Inn Italian Restaurant. The restaurant, located in the Highlands, closed Monday after 95 years in business.

“Taking apart – dismantling 95 years of history is overwhelming. We smile, we laugh… we talk about the memories and it just… we can’t come up with any memory that’s not a good one,” Cito told Denver7. 

Citing ill health and overwhelming pressure from developers building "Denver boxes" in what used to be known as North Denver (now, the Highlands neighborhood), Cito said closing the decades-old restaurant was not a decision that was taken lightly.

“We are heartsick to give this up,” Cito told our partners at the Denver Post, wiping away tears. “But the neighborhood is changing, too, and maybe it’s time for us to step back and let the young generation take over and make their own memories.”

Cito takes comfort knowing Patsy's will remain a restaurant and won't be transformed in something else. But she is sad the restaurant will not meet their life-long goal

“We planned on being open for a very long time, our goal was 100 years. We didn’t make that," Cito said.

Cito has received much support and words of encouragement on Facebook, and said she appreciates the kind gestures from longtime friends and customers. 

“I wish -- we so wish that we could talk to each and every customer and friend yet again and thank them because without them Patsy’s wouldn’t still be here today.”