"There's really not that many breakfast spots in Cherry Creek, especially with Syrup closed," Matt Joblon, CEO of developer BMC Investments, told The Denver Post in late August, while announcing a new tenant for his building on Milwaukee Street.
Cherry Creek North's morning food is being replaced, and the incoming businesses look nothing like the ones that left. They are counters, bagel lines, coffee windows and all-day kitchens, each built to serve a lot of people quickly in a district where every square foot now costs more. Every one of them is scheduled to open in 2027, so this winter's weekday breakfast options are the places already open.
Three Storefronts Went Dark This Year
Three closures hit within a few blocks of each other:
- SOL Mexican Cocina, 200 Columbine St., closed permanently after its lease expired. BusinessDen reported it in July after about 10 years in the neighborhood.
- Syrup, open at 300 Josephine St. since 2010, served its last breakfast there on Aug. 16.
- Sweet Izzy, the vegan ice cream shop at 3003 E. 3rd Ave., had already closed by the time a new tenant signed for its space in October.
Syrup's exit hit hardest because it was the neighborhood's dedicated breakfast room for almost 16 years. Owner Danielle Sanson described the district to BusinessDen this way: "It's not as bulletproof as you might think." Naked Denver reported that the company said the decision came down to economics and that Syrup had been priced out of Cherry Creek. The brand is still around. Its City Park, Capitol Hill, Edgewater and Downtown locations stayed open, and ownership said its next new location would be somewhere else in the metro.
The rent pressure shows up in the district's own numbers. The Cherry Creek North business improvement district's 2025/2026 State of Cherry Creek report uses CoStar data for 2025. From Q4 2024 to Q4 2025, retail vacancy in Cherry Creek was 1.9%. Over the same period it was 4.1% citywide, 4.2% across the metro and 4.4% nationally. Asking lease rates in the district climbed from $31.02 to $36.05 per square foot, a 16.2% jump over 2024. With that little vacancy, a landlord whose tenant leaves can count on finding another one fast. When Naked Denver reported Syrup's closing in July, the space was already being marketed for occupancy starting Sept. 1.
What Makes the Math Work at $36 a Foot
A 16% rent increase lands hardest on a restaurant that does most of its business in a few morning hours. The incoming businesses all seem to be designed with that in mind. Each one either serves customers very fast or stays open well past breakfast.
| Concept | Address | What it's built around | Reported timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two Hands | 221 N. Milwaukee St., The Oasis | Breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus an outside-facing coffee window | Spring 2027 |
| PopUp Bagels | 299 Milwaukee St., The Oasis | Grab-and-go bagels | No store date yet; first Oasis retail is expected in Q1 2027 |
| BoxBox | 3003 E. 3rd Ave. | Kiosk ordering, salads by the scoop | Early 2027 |
| Butterdrop Bakeshop | 250 Detroit St. | Traditional pastry next to Aviano Coffee | "Next year," meaning 2027 |
BoxBox is the clearest example. Founders Tim and Laurie Martin told BusinessDen, as reported in The Denver Post, that their signature box of four salads, crackers and a tahini brownie bite will cost about $15. At their Colfax store, the average order took 76 seconds to make. "When you make a decision, we want to be basically handing you your food as you pay," Laurie Martin said. They are moving because of foot traffic. Over their year on Colfax, Tim Martin said, "we found ourselves asking 'Where is the foot traffic?'" and the loudest answer was Cherry Creek. The new space is 1,300 square feet.
Two Hands, an Australian brunch brand, does it with long hours instead. It will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner in a 3,400-square-foot room with a 900-square-foot patio, a fireplace and a small courtyard. Founder Henry Roberts said this will be only the second Two Hands with a coffee window. A coffee window serves people who never sit down. Joblon told BusinessDen that the district has "massive demand" for "more cost-effective breakfast and lunch options" when he announced PopUp Bagels.
Both Two Hands and BoxBox signed 10-year leases. Operators expect this foot traffic to last.
Butterdrop is the one small, independent shop in the group. Diana Flores, a Honduras native who has spent a decade in Denver, is opening her first brick-and-mortar shop next to Aviano. "I feel like a lot of pastry shops are too pretentious and flashy," she told BusinessDen. "We want to keep tradition and make you feel like you're eating something your mom or grandma made."
Why Nothing Opens Before 2027
Two of the four new tenants are waiting on the same building. The Oasis, from BMC Investments and Rockpoint, broke ground in December 2024. It covers nearly a full block of Cherry Creek North, with 177 apartments, 28,000 square feet of retail and a 6,000-square-foot public park with fountains. Hoodline reported that its first retail tenants are expected in Q1 2027. That date covers the whole building. PopUp Bagels hasn't announced its own opening day.
The BoxBox lease is newer still. The Martins signed it the week of Oct. 22 and are aiming for early 2027. Every date in the table above is a target. None is a confirmed opening.
The district has 59 restaurants, bars and cafes, according to the State of Cherry Creek report. Breakfast is the gap because so few of them open early.
Weekday Mornings Until Then
Some spots are already open and fit the faster model the newcomers are bringing:
- Every Little Thing, 2816 E. 3rd Ave., moved into the former Town Pump Provisions eatery space and was on Westword's list of June openings. Its website lists daily hours of 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and the menu covers breakfast, lunch and dinner. It also has a coffee window.
- Aviano Coffee has two shops in the district, at 244 Detroit St. and 215 St. Paul St.
- The Pasty Republic, 2615 E. 3rd Ave., lists its pasties as a quick breakfast.
- Die Die Must Try Beverage Co., 250 Steele St., Suite 108, and Organic Squeeze, 180 Steele St., are both in the district's coffee directory.
For a sit-down weekend brunch, the Cherry Creek North brunch directory lists Local Jones at 249 Columbine St., Le Bilboquet at 299 St. Paul St. and La Merise French Cuisine at 2700 E. 3rd Ave. Check hours with each business before you go. The directory lists businesses but doesn't promise when they're serving.
The Foot Traffic Arrives Before the Bagels Do
BoxBox is betting on the crowds that come every holiday season. The district's report counts 16.8 million visitors a year. Over the next two months the Fillmore and 2nd Avenue area will be at its busiest:
- Cherry Creek Holiday Market, Fillmore Plaza between 1st and 2nd Avenues, Nov. 19 to Dec. 24. It's free and has local makers, live music and a festive-drinks bar. The plaza will be closed to traffic. Thanksgiving week hours differ between the Cherry Creek North listing and the market's own site, so confirm them before you plan around Nov. 26 or 27.
- Giving Machines, at the market entrance at 2nd Avenue and Fillmore, run 24/7 from Nov. 19 through Jan. 4, 2027.
- Small Business Weekend, throughout the district, Nov. 27 to 30. Participating shops will be announced closer to the date.
- Saturday Night Lights, Civica Plaza at 250 Fillmore St., Dec. 12 from 5 to 8 p.m. It's free and open to all ages.
The market will draw crowds before any of the new breakfast spots open. For a coffee before or after, Every Little Thing on 3rd Avenue and Aviano on St. Paul are both close by.
If you own near Cherry Creek North and want to know how this year's storefront changes show up in what nearby homes are selling for, Stephen LaPorta at Perfect Denver Homes can put together a free home valuation using the latest comps on your street.
