The entrance to 1930 Blake St., formerly home to Sports Column, in October. (BusinessDen file)
A country bar is in the works in LoDo.
Restauranteur Francois Safieddine, whose group Lotus Concepts Management is behind spots such as My Neighbor Felix and ViewHouse, appears to be bringing a Western-themed bar to the former Sports Column space at 1930 Blake St.
In January, a Safieddine-affiliated entity called The Saddle Company Corp. requested a cabaret liquor license for the 8,700-square-foot space. That allows for live music and dancing.
A floor plan included in the materials submitted to the city shows space for a mechanical bull.
Neither Safieddine or Lotus staff responded to multiple requests for comment by BusinessDen.
The Sports Column operated in the building near Coors Field from 1995 through September.
Safieddine owns the real estate at 1930 and 1932 Blake St., having bought it in January 2021 for $5.2 million. He acquired the rights to Sports Column as part of the deal and handed operations to Dominic Roybal, who runs The Refinery bar next door, in August 2022.
“As Downtown Denver began to grow and change, Sports Column struggled to remain relevant with the changing clientele in the area,” Roybal told BusinessDen in October. “The nightlife crowd began to desire a more refined experience.”
Safieddine’s other local concepts include Wonderyard Garden + Table in Ballpark, which he opened last year. He also has submitted plans for a RiNo restaurant.
