A picture of the Live Slow Brewing space that co-founder Joe Malouff sent to BusinessDen in January 2024. (Courtesy Joe Malouff)
Paul Porter’s business model: Make it Instagrammable.
“When we put that burger in front of your face the first thing you do is pull your phone out,” he said.
In mid-November, Porter plans to open the doors to The Werks, a one-stop shop for bikes, beers, burgers and bowling. His 11,000-square-foot space at 2625 Kipling St. in Wheat Ridge’s Gold’s Marketplace had formerly been the planned site of Live Slow Brewing, which never opened.
“Really, it’s everything that Colorado loves all in one space,” Porter said, adding that, when possible, everything sold will be sourced from the Centennial State.
Porter, 50, said this is his first time starting a business after a 34-year career working in large restaurants coupled with amenities. Past employers included The Summit, now Main Event, which combines bowling and laser tag with a restaurant and bar. Porter met the general manager for his Wheat Ridge location, Jake Bornhop, at a Dave & Buster’s years ago.
“This is a dream come true,” Porter said. “I’ve lived this industry my entire life.”
The Werks will include a bike shop, which will mostly sell bicycles and offer basic services, such as brake adjustments and tire repairs. The “vibe” will be oriented to cruiser and e-bikes, things typically found on city streets, but other bike styles will be welcome as well, Porter said.
The shop will carry around 20 to 30 bikes, with some custom-made by Denverite Kenny “MF” Jones, who Porter called a “local legend” in the bike world.
The unit used to be Paramount Bowl, a bowling alley that closed in 2019 after 65 years in business, so there will also be six lanes — half of what there once were — for patrons.
The new space will be decked out with TVs and host a “360” sports-viewing experience.
Porter said he’s spent money building out a 3,500-square-foot dog-friendly patio, upgrading audio/visual equipment, and expanding the kitchen for the future full-service restaurant and bar, which will offer brunch on weekends. He’s still ironing out menu details.
The business will be open seven days a week until midnight or 1 a.m.
The unit was the planned site of Live Slow Brewing, a beer and bowling crossover concept that was initially expected to open in June 2022. It was Live Slow that took out Paramount’s other six bowling lanes.
Last December, however, one of Live Slow’s founders, Grant Babb, was sued for allegedly stealing $1 million from nearby Joyride Brewing in Edgewater, where he was a co-owner. Some of those funds were claimed to have been commingled between Joyride and Live Slow. Babb denied wrongdoing and countersued for $170,000 he said he’d loaned Joyride.
The brewery and Babb settled their case in August. The planned Live Slow space was marketed for lease before that, starting last spring.
A picture of the Live Slow Brewing space that co-founder Joe Malouff sent to BusinessDen in January. (Courtesy Joe Malouff)
“Honestly it kind of fell in my lap,” Porter said. “My wife found it. She was the one who notified me that it was available.”
That same day, he went and checked out the space for himself. His broker was Levi Noe of NAI Shames Makovsky. JLL brokers Lorenzo Harris, Sam Zaitz and Jeff Feldman represented the landlord, Quannah Partners.
“There was a lot of interest, a staggering amount of interest from breweries, and I think that speaks to the quality of the trade area and the overall success that the retailers have had so far at Gold’s Marketplace,” Harris said.
Harris said he had eight interested groups within a few weeks. Porter signed a lease in July.
“It had a ton of infrastructure there to begin with, which is a huge step forward in the process,” Porter said.
Porter hopes to turn the entire restaurant around at least one-and-a-half times a day, an industry standard, he said. It’s the first location of many, he hopes. Around this time next year, Porter plans on opening his second location at 3400 Valmont St. in Boulder. He’s already signed a lease there.
“We have an aggressive growth strategy and are looking to open 10 locations in 10 years … I would not hesitate to put one in Colorado Springs either,” he said.
A picture of the Live Slow Brewing space that co-founder Joe Malouff sent to BusinessDen in January 2024. (Courtesy Joe Malouff)
Paul Porter’s business model: Make it Instagrammable.
“When we put that burger in front of your face the first thing you do is pull your phone out,” he said.
In mid-November, Porter plans to open the doors to The Werks, a one-stop shop for bikes, beers, burgers and bowling. His 11,000-square-foot space at 2625 Kipling St. in Wheat Ridge’s Gold’s Marketplace had formerly been the planned site of Live Slow Brewing, which never opened.
“Really, it’s everything that Colorado loves all in one space,” Porter said, adding that, when possible, everything sold will be sourced from the Centennial State.
Porter, 50, said this is his first time starting a business after a 34-year career working in large restaurants coupled with amenities. Past employers included The Summit, now Main Event, which combines bowling and laser tag with a restaurant and bar. Porter met the general manager for his Wheat Ridge location, Jake Bornhop, at a Dave & Buster’s years ago.
“This is a dream come true,” Porter said. “I’ve lived this industry my entire life.”
The Werks will include a bike shop, which will mostly sell bicycles and offer basic services, such as brake adjustments and tire repairs. The “vibe” will be oriented to cruiser and e-bikes, things typically found on city streets, but other bike styles will be welcome as well, Porter said.
The shop will carry around 20 to 30 bikes, with some custom-made by Denverite Kenny “MF” Jones, who Porter called a “local legend” in the bike world.
The unit used to be Paramount Bowl, a bowling alley that closed in 2019 after 65 years in business, so there will also be six lanes — half of what there once were — for patrons.
The new space will be decked out with TVs and host a “360” sports-viewing experience.
Porter said he’s spent money building out a 3,500-square-foot dog-friendly patio, upgrading audio/visual equipment, and expanding the kitchen for the future full-service restaurant and bar, which will offer brunch on weekends. He’s still ironing out menu details.
The business will be open seven days a week until midnight or 1 a.m.
The unit was the planned site of Live Slow Brewing, a beer and bowling crossover concept that was initially expected to open in June 2022. It was Live Slow that took out Paramount’s other six bowling lanes.
Last December, however, one of Live Slow’s founders, Grant Babb, was sued for allegedly stealing $1 million from nearby Joyride Brewing in Edgewater, where he was a co-owner. Some of those funds were claimed to have been commingled between Joyride and Live Slow. Babb denied wrongdoing and countersued for $170,000 he said he’d loaned Joyride.
The brewery and Babb settled their case in August. The planned Live Slow space was marketed for lease before that, starting last spring.
A picture of the Live Slow Brewing space that co-founder Joe Malouff sent to BusinessDen in January. (Courtesy Joe Malouff)
“Honestly it kind of fell in my lap,” Porter said. “My wife found it. She was the one who notified me that it was available.”
That same day, he went and checked out the space for himself. His broker was Levi Noe of NAI Shames Makovsky. JLL brokers Lorenzo Harris, Sam Zaitz and Jeff Feldman represented the landlord, Quannah Partners.
“There was a lot of interest, a staggering amount of interest from breweries, and I think that speaks to the quality of the trade area and the overall success that the retailers have had so far at Gold’s Marketplace,” Harris said.
Harris said he had eight interested groups within a few weeks. Porter signed a lease in July.
“It had a ton of infrastructure there to begin with, which is a huge step forward in the process,” Porter said.
Porter hopes to turn the entire restaurant around at least one-and-a-half times a day, an industry standard, he said. It’s the first location of many, he hopes. Around this time next year, Porter plans on opening his second location at 3400 Valmont St. in Boulder. He’s already signed a lease there.
“We have an aggressive growth strategy and are looking to open 10 locations in 10 years … I would not hesitate to put one in Colorado Springs either,” he said.
