In the inaugural Snarky Mark article published in the November 2025 LUN Newsletter, I wrote a piece entitled, “Sports Viewing In Lowry” and made a reference to the former Tavern bar/restaurant as being the go-to bar for sports viewing until the establishment was shuttered in February 2024 due to family ownership strife and a failure to pay taxes.

The property sat idle for 20 months and numerous vagrant break-ins occurred on the property until the former owners finally boarded up all the windows on the building. The property was a Lowry Town Center eyesore that only worsened when a couple RVs set up camp on the north side of the property for a good eight months.

Then in October 2025, something fantastic happened. A local general surgeon, Dr. Jacquelyn Glenn, purchased the property … which is possibly the best thing that’s happened to Lowry since Snarky Mark moved into the ‘hood 20 years ago.  Pause the eyerolls folks – I had to find some way to inject some snark into this article.

Per a BusinessDen article issued shortly after the sale, the initial plans for the property were to convert the bar/restaurant into classrooms and a recording studio for a local music school along with a small café and have concerts in the Soiled Dove music venue which sits in the basement of the property. The owner later pivoted from those plans and opted to retain the bar/restaurant concept on the main floor instead. Yay!

The owner is calling the new bar/restaurant, “Rising Phoenix”, which is a metaphorical reference to giving rebirth and renewal to something that was left to die … in this case, a restaurant property that was totally neglected and left in complete disrepair by prior ownership. 

Work on renovating the property started in November 2025 and has been ongoing ever since. As part of my daily routine of walking to the Town Center every morning for a cup of coffee, I have witnessed the exterior refurbishment of the property for the last 6+ months – replacement of the heating/ventilation system, roof repairs, painting, landscaping, parking lot repairs, etc.  Additionally, the RV squatters on the north side of the property were swiftly evicted. 

On May 27, the General Manager of Rising Phoenix, Joe Augusto, gave me a tour of the building and explained all the upgrades that have been made and upgrades that are planned to be done. And there is plenty of reason for excitement. The new owner poured a significant amount of $$$ into the refurbishment of the property – both inside and outside.

The actual layout of the property is very much the same as it was in the Tavern days; no walls were demolished nor new walls installed.  A backstage restroom for musicians was added to the Soiled Dove but that’s the only physical change to the layout.  Like how was that overlooked in the original construction of the Soiled Dove?!

Plenty of impressive upgrades throughout the bar/restaurant have been completed including brand new tables and chairs, completely refurbished dining booths with new seat cushions and attractive upholstered backing.  Comfortable and attractive bar stools encircle the boomerang-shaped bar along with new TVs and JBL speakers overhead.  Joe also shared some of the dining plates and bowls that they plan to use which were very nice.

The kitchen has been completely renovated with all new equipment. New beer taps were installed throughout the three bars.  A new sound system was installed in the Soiled Dove by Listen Up – an upscale and highly reputable local audio company. The Soiled Dove will feature local, regional and national acts across many music genres as well as comedy acts.

On top of all that, the outside patio – which was seldom used in the latter years of the Tavern – is getting a makeover. On the north side of the patio, a curved concrete stage was poured to provide a platform for musicians to perform. Shrubs, plants and flowers will be planted in the garden beds located on the south part of the patio to add some color to the area. Also planned is the placement of a triangular canopy that spans from a point on the building to the brick wall on the west side of the patio.  The canopy will provide shelter from both rain and the baking Colorado sun for patrons sitting outside. When completed, the patio has the makings of being a very pleasant place to hang with family/friends with occasional entertainment by local musicians.

The kitchen/menu is being overseen and directed by Daniel Young (aka “Chef D”) who possesses vast experience in the culinary field including opening and running several local restaurants and being the private chef for the Denver Nuggets for 17 years.

Joe shared the planned menu options but the menu hasn’t been finalized yet and prices were not listed.  It will be American cuisine featuring an assortment of burgers, pizzas, pastas, a couple salmon dishes, a couple seafood dishes, salads, appetizers and desserts.  They will have a Happy Hour as well but details weren’t disclosed. If Rising Phoenix can deliver on the food and if prices are competitive with other Lowry restaurants, then it will be a very popular dining destination for Lowry and non-Lowry residents alike. 

The restaurant has already hired a staff of 25 employees and is still looking to hire more. Additionally, a local security company was recently hired to patrol the parking lot overnight to prevent any vandalism or break-ins on the property.  From what I’ve witnessed thus far, ownership seems to be pressing all the right buttons to ensure the business is a success.

The re-opening of the Soiled Dove is a huge win for Lowry. In my opinion, it’s the best small capacity (300 seats) music venue in the city with terrific acoustics and not a bad seat in the house. And for sports viewing, Rising Phoenix will be the go-to destination in Lowry.  We got our sports viewing crib back, peeps!  Yeah baby!!!

Soft opening is planned for June 19th.  Hope to see you there.