DENVER — An investment group is hoping to inject new life into the Five Points neighborhood, making improvements to existing businesses and opening new ones.
“We are in one of Denver’s only cultural historic districts that’s very rich in Black and African American history,” business owner Ryan Cobbins said.
You can almost feel that history along Welton Street. But that alone doesn’t always bring in people or get them to stay.
“There’s a cry," Cobbins said. "We want more Black-owned businesses. We want to make sure the neighborhood pays tribute to who was here before."
He owns Coffee at the Point, in the heart of the neighborhood. He is also trying to answer that call of the community.
“It’s the new with the respect of the history that has existed for decades,” he said.
Cobbins is part of a local investment group, called The Flyfisher Group, injecting and managing new dollars to revitalize the culinary side of the neighborhood.
The group is investing in Cobbins’ Coffee at the Point to offer craft beer and wine and Spangalang Brewery to offer food service. The group is rebranding Dunbar Kitchen and Tap House into MBP, a dinner restaurant, and will be opening a new breakfast restaurant called Mimosas.
“This will be one of the first full service breakfast houses on the Welton Street corridor,” Chef Daniel Young said.
Young is managing the culinary side at MBP and Mimosas. He gave Denver7 a tour of the soon-to-be breakfast spot and spoke about the culinary synergy the group is hoping to achieve.
“You’ve got breakfast, you’ve got dinner, you’ve got coffee, you’ve got a brewery. So collectively together on the weekends we hope that this place will thrive with all the properties rocking,” he said.
“The idea is we want people to stay here. And not only do we want people who live here to stay here but if you live downtown we want you to be able to take this light rial right up to Five Points,” Coggins said.
The new restaurants are slated to open later in July, and though the pair couldn’t be specific, they say more is planned for the neighborhood.
“This is just our foothold now and hopefully we’re gonna grow from that,” Chef Young said.
“More to come, absolutely,” Coggins said.