Earls restaurant bids goodbye to Cherry Creek North location

Have you tried to drive and (God forbid) park in Cherry Creek North lately? So it came as no big surprise that Earls Kitchen + Bar at 201 Columbine St. closed for good on Saturday.

According to a story in The Denver Business Journal, “the Canadian chain is blaming the constant street closures and loss of parking that have plagued the neighborhood.”

Here’s the rest of the story:

“The restaurant shut down, effective Saturday, hanging a sign directing customers to its other two area locations in downtown Denver and Lone Tree. Staff and management will be relocated to those locations, company officials said,” the DBJ reported.

“Officials of … Earls Restaurants Ltd. said that they, like other businesses in the Cherry Creek area, have struggled with constant construction around them and the effects it has had on the restaurant. And that only became exacerbated this spring by storm-water-system work that the city of Denver has undertaken.”

Numerous street closures for well over a year, the loss of street parking and access blocked to additional parking, even occasional power loss made it difficult to conduct business in any kind of consistent manner,” said restaurant-chain spokeswoman Cate Simpson. ‘Additional construction by the city of Denver in the past two months made it impossible to continue to operate and, like a number of other neighboring businesses, this location is unfortunately closed permanently.

According to the DBJ, Simpson said the restaurant met with city officials to discuss how the construction projects were progressing and what the business could expect. It voiced concerns about access, signage and the length of the closure, she said.

“Some businesses have told (City Councilwoman Jeanne) Robb they are suffering, complaints that have led to weekly meetings between city staffers and the Cherry Creek North Business Improvement District as well as to Robb requesting a comparison of first-quarter sales-tax revenues in the district this year versus the first three months of last year.

Cherry Creek North spokeswoman Julie Underahl said the Business Improvement District has listed alternative routes and a new parking guide on www.cherrycreeknorth.com while the construction is underway.

“We are sorry to see Earls close due to the city’s storm sewer project or any other reason,” Underdahl told the DBJ. “The BID has been working very closely with the city to minimize the impacts of their project and to let visitors know that all businesses in the area are open during construction.”

Open, sure, but thriving in that construction cacophony? Hmmmm. I realize the disruption is for the greater good, but it can be hard to see a future when the present looks fuzzy.