A few months into the pandemic, bar owner T.C. Clark shut down Milo's Sports Tavern, a family-owned neighborhood joint operating in Southeast Denver's Virginia Village neighborhood. It was one of many longtime mom-and-pop bars and restaurants to shutter after stay-at-home orders upended the hospitality industry.
The bar was known as a second home to many neighbors. There were many TVs to watch Broncos and Nuggets games. People played poker and trivia games at the bar. And customers relished Milo's giant pretzels, mac-and-cheese egg rolls, and what some claimed were the best chicken wings in town.
The owners described the bar as their third child.
"I was always proud of Milo's being a 'neighborhood establishment,'" Clark wrote on social media. "I so wanted our neighborhood to be better because we strived to make Milo's better each and every day. We always didn't succeed, but we sure as hell tried. We worked with our local police districts to establish relationships to keep our patrons, our neighbors, and our community safe. We donated our time and resources to help our police officers, our charities, our parks, our streets, and our neighborhoods to be cleaner, safer, and better. In all, it was always what we wanted our business to be....a neighborhood joint."
After nearly two decades of serving the community, the restaurant was forced to close.
"In the end, Covid killed the party," he wrote. "A small, neighborhood, full-service restaurant isn't made for masks, 6 feet of distancing and 50% capacity, not to mention new hiring and purchasing. The deal simply doesn't 'pencil.' Rents in Denver have skyrocketed. Food and commodity pricing is high and going higher. The labor thresholds are rising to levels that will fundamentally change the business model of a restaurant. And the always thin margins of our industry will now be even tighter and unsustainable for many of us."
So Clark closed the doors. Since then, the building has been demolished, along with other nearby spots.
Neighbor Jan Silvey wrote to Denverite to find out what's happening with the land. She wants to see a Trader Joe's there but fears a gas station is coming.
The land is owned by the QuikTrip, an $11 billion company that has submitted plans to the city to construct a new gas station on the site.
QuikTrip, first inspired by 7-Eleven, dates back to the late 1950s. It opened its first shop in Tulsa, OK, where it is currently headquartered. The chain has since expanded across the Midwest and eventually other states nationwide with more than 900 locations.
The chain is known for its robust self-service fast food offerings, wide selection of drinks and guaranteed gasoline. The company gives 5% of proceeds to local nonprofits wherever QuikTrips open.
Back in 2019, QuikTrip announced it would be expanding to Denver.
By 2022, the chain was opening up shops in Colorado, with its first Colorado location in Firestone and its first Denver location opening at I-70 and Central Park Boulevard.
According to site development plans submitted to the city, The Virginia Village Quick Trip will include automobile services, a fuel station, a drive-through, indoor food and beverage services and an outdoor dining area.
In addition to traditional gas pumps, there will also be space for electric vehicle charging.
"By entering this new market, this allows us to create meaningful connections with our new local customers in the Denver metro area and serve travelers in this busy part of the country," wrote Aisha Jefferson-Smith, QuikTrip's Corporate Communications Manager, in a statement.
