Alex Jump and Stuart Jensen sit for a portrait in their backyard shed bar, which they named the Peach Crease Club, in Denver in 2021. (Eli Imadali, Special to The Denver Post)
In early 2021, Stuart Jensen and Alex Jump opened the original Peach Crease Club — a four-seat bar in the now-married couple’s backyard shed. The counter, named after a joint in HBO’s “The Outsider,” was an effort to create a classic drinking spot amid the disruptions of the pandemic.
“We had all of the Denver hospitality people coming there and hanging out, which was cool,” Jensen said.
In early fall, over three years after its spring 2022 close, the pair will bring the spot back to life.Â
But this time, the duo will have a little more space to work with than a patch of grass. Peach Crease Club 2.0 will live next to Mission Ballroom at 4180 Wynkoop St.
“We really love going to Mission and seeing shows, and this seemed like a really cool opportunity to combine what we do with a musical component,” said Jump, who was on Forbes’ 30 under 30 food and drink list in 2021.
“We’re just trying to offer people a nice cocktail or wine experience before a show,” Jensen added. “And there’s a lot of people moving to the neighborhood too.”
The couple signed a 10-year lease for the 1,800-square-foot space in July.
Though they are still workshopping the menu, Jensen mentioned a horseradish and cherry flavored cocktail as a possible inclusion. The club plans to offer a peach mix after its namesake.
Nonalcoholic beers and wines will also be on offer, and Jump said coffee options may get added down the line.
“We’ll have more of a culinary approach to drinks and focus on fresh seasonal ingredients with flavors that complement each other,” Jensen said. “Just getting away from, ‘Here’s five different kinds of liquor poured in a glass combined with a mixer.’”
Alex Jump, left, and Stuart Jensen, right in front of the future Peach Crease Club. (Max Scheinblum/BusinessDen)
Since the bar is nestled between the newly opened Chubby Unicorn Cantina and a Left Hand Brewing outpost, Jensen and Jump hope they won’t have to offer an extensive food menu.
“Left Hand is a really large space that’s great for big groups, and Chubby Unicorn is a really great, casual, open-format space,” Jump said. “We’re trying to be more of a place where you would take a date or a business meeting, more of an intimate setting.”
Peach Crease will have a 12- to 14-seat bar right when you walk in, four U-shaped booths on the back wall, tables and chairs on one side and a small standing room area in the middle, giving it space for around 60 people. The couple plans to install a custom-made DJ booth as well, with shelving behind for records.
Peach Crease expects to open around 4 p.m. on most days and close around midnight, with last call a little later on weekends.
It will also have a patio that can seat 30, but that won’t be the only option for drinking outside. The area outside the business, as well as for Chubby Unicorn and Left Hand, will operate under a common consumption license, meaning people can roam, drink and eat freely among the establishments.
Jensen and Jump will have a separate bar window to serve that crowd, which they said will be more casual and high volume.
“We’ll make that look more of a dive bar vibe,” Jensen said. “We’ll have a couple draft beers, couple cocktails. Probably try and plan some events out there like pop-ups and guest bartenders. I’m hoping that they’ll put in some kind of communal seating on the plaza too.”
The two declined to disclose the cost of the build-out but said President Trump’s tariffs have upped the price tag.Â
Getting to this point has been an on-and-off process over the past five or so years. When asked about the speed of it all, both let out a laugh.
“We’ve been on a bit of a slower timeline,” Jump said. “The design has taken a lot longer to make sure it’s exactly how we want it.”
A rendering of Peach Crease’s patio and drink window. (Courtesy Peach Crease Club)
“We’re very detail-oriented in how the equipment is going to be laid out and how the space is going to flow,” Jensen said.
Jensen, who also co-owns Roger’s Liquid Oasis in Edgewater Public Market, has been in the Front Range restaurant industry for two decades. Jump came to Denver in 2017 and was the opening bar manager for Death & Co. through August 2022. Since then, she’s been consulting and running Focus on Health, an advocacy group for hospitality workers.
Their cocktail bar together comes at a time when Denver restaurants are grappling with high labor, property tax, insurance and food costs. Jensen said they have been building out business models based on conservative numbers to give them more wiggle room.
“Opening up a full-service, sit-down fine dining restaurant — I don’t know how you would do that, to be honest,” he said of other concept types.
He said they will have a smaller, more versatile staff and do much of the drink prep before service to help streamline the drink-making process.
“We’ll try to cut out some of the noise and movement and chaos and make it more of a quiet and enjoyable experience for guests,” Jump added. “Then they can focus on the music and conversations instead of hearing shakers and bottles clanging around.”
Alex Jump and Stuart Jensen sit for a portrait in their backyard shed bar, which they named the Peach Crease Club, in Denver in 2021. (Eli Imadali, Special to The Denver Post)
In early 2021, Stuart Jensen and Alex Jump opened the original Peach Crease Club — a four-seat bar in the now-married couple’s backyard shed. The counter, named after a joint in HBO’s “The Outsider,” was an effort to create a classic drinking spot amid the disruptions of the pandemic.
“We had all of the Denver hospitality people coming there and hanging out, which was cool,” Jensen said.
In early fall, over three years after its spring 2022 close, the pair will bring the spot back to life.Â
But this time, the duo will have a little more space to work with than a patch of grass. Peach Crease Club 2.0 will live next to Mission Ballroom at 4180 Wynkoop St.
“We really love going to Mission and seeing shows, and this seemed like a really cool opportunity to combine what we do with a musical component,” said Jump, who was on Forbes’ 30 under 30 food and drink list in 2021.
“We’re just trying to offer people a nice cocktail or wine experience before a show,” Jensen added. “And there’s a lot of people moving to the neighborhood too.”
The couple signed a 10-year lease for the 1,800-square-foot space in July.
Though they are still workshopping the menu, Jensen mentioned a horseradish and cherry flavored cocktail as a possible inclusion. The club plans to offer a peach mix after its namesake.
Nonalcoholic beers and wines will also be on offer, and Jump said coffee options may get added down the line.
“We’ll have more of a culinary approach to drinks and focus on fresh seasonal ingredients with flavors that complement each other,” Jensen said. “Just getting away from, ‘Here’s five different kinds of liquor poured in a glass combined with a mixer.’”
Alex Jump, left, and Stuart Jensen, right in front of the future Peach Crease Club. (Max Scheinblum/BusinessDen)
Since the bar is nestled between the newly opened Chubby Unicorn Cantina and a Left Hand Brewing outpost, Jensen and Jump hope they won’t have to offer an extensive food menu.
“Left Hand is a really large space that’s great for big groups, and Chubby Unicorn is a really great, casual, open-format space,” Jump said. “We’re trying to be more of a place where you would take a date or a business meeting, more of an intimate setting.”
Peach Crease will have a 12- to 14-seat bar right when you walk in, four U-shaped booths on the back wall, tables and chairs on one side and a small standing room area in the middle, giving it space for around 60 people. The couple plans to install a custom-made DJ booth as well, with shelving behind for records.
Peach Crease expects to open around 4 p.m. on most days and close around midnight, with last call a little later on weekends.
It will also have a patio that can seat 30, but that won’t be the only option for drinking outside. The area outside the business, as well as for Chubby Unicorn and Left Hand, will operate under a common consumption license, meaning people can roam, drink and eat freely among the establishments.
Jensen and Jump will have a separate bar window to serve that crowd, which they said will be more casual and high volume.
“We’ll make that look more of a dive bar vibe,” Jensen said. “We’ll have a couple draft beers, couple cocktails. Probably try and plan some events out there like pop-ups and guest bartenders. I’m hoping that they’ll put in some kind of communal seating on the plaza too.”
The two declined to disclose the cost of the build-out but said President Trump’s tariffs have upped the price tag.Â
Getting to this point has been an on-and-off process over the past five or so years. When asked about the speed of it all, both let out a laugh.
“We’ve been on a bit of a slower timeline,” Jump said. “The design has taken a lot longer to make sure it’s exactly how we want it.”
A rendering of Peach Crease’s patio and drink window. (Courtesy Peach Crease Club)
“We’re very detail-oriented in how the equipment is going to be laid out and how the space is going to flow,” Jensen said.
Jensen, who also co-owns Roger’s Liquid Oasis in Edgewater Public Market, has been in the Front Range restaurant industry for two decades. Jump came to Denver in 2017 and was the opening bar manager for Death & Co. through August 2022. Since then, she’s been consulting and running Focus on Health, an advocacy group for hospitality workers.
Their cocktail bar together comes at a time when Denver restaurants are grappling with high labor, property tax, insurance and food costs. Jensen said they have been building out business models based on conservative numbers to give them more wiggle room.
“Opening up a full-service, sit-down fine dining restaurant — I don’t know how you would do that, to be honest,” he said of other concept types.
He said they will have a smaller, more versatile staff and do much of the drink prep before service to help streamline the drink-making process.
“We’ll try to cut out some of the noise and movement and chaos and make it more of a quiet and enjoyable experience for guests,” Jump added. “Then they can focus on the music and conversations instead of hearing shakers and bottles clanging around.”
