1911 11th Street, Boulder’s Next Nightlife Icon
Armed with Boulder history, a prime downtown Boulder location, and coveted Tavern License, 1911 11th Street is ready for its newest tenants.
Can you tell we’re excited? In case you missed it, the historic building where The Walrus used to be located on 11th Street has been undergoing renovations that will strike the perfect balance between rustic and historical, and modern and innovative. Besides the perfect location that puts 1911 right in the middle of Boulder’s bustling downtown scene, 1911 comes with a much coveted tavern license already, meaning that the tenants who decide they want to be a part of this exciting neighborhood will have the paperwork all set to go. With this license, business owners are permitted to serve alcohol, open their doors ‘till late, and while they must serve food, they’re not required to serve full meals like restaurants are.
The Colorado Tavern License is one of the hottest certifications to get your hands on, but is nearly impossible. There are only 16 businesses in Boulder that are certified, compared to the more commonly held hotel/restaurant license. In order to obtain a tavern license, one must submit an application that includes a “needs and desires” survey of businesses and residents within the vicinity of the proposed tavern, and cannot be within 500 ft. of a school, college, university, or seminary. It’s no surprise that both Boulder and Denver are known for having stringent license approvals for taverns, considering the heavy family and student presence from the local universities. And, since Tavern Licenses are attached to addresses, and not the business itself, obtaining and keeping one may prove to be a challenge.
Almost 3 years ago, the historic building that has stood its ground since 1895 was purchased by investor Scott Littlefield who has since worked tirelessly to renovate it from head to toe. In purchasing the building, Scott also obtained the old Walrus location, which has since closed its doors. The Walrus was one of 16 Boulder businesses with the Tavern License, and now that the location is going up for sale, so is the Tavern License. These certifications are so hard to get that it’s easier to transfer a license than to get a new one.
Not only is the licensing on the building a rarity in Boulder, but the neighborhood and corridor is one of a kind. Nestled in the west end of Pearl Street sits the nightlife strip that is home to Pearl Street Pub and luxury hotel St. Julien’s. This is unquestionably the hottest place in town for a restaurant or pub. And with the tavern license leaving food up to the business owners, initial start up costs are minimal.
Everyone wants to be a piece of Boulder’s downtown scene, especially in the cultural epicenter of Pearl Street. With a lot of properties (of the very few that become available in the area) being listed at an average of $500,000, it seems that business owners are willing to pay the price to become Boulder’s next nightlife icon. Of course, even fewer of the vacant downtown Boulder properties come with a tavern license attached to the address. We can only think of one- and it’s 1911 11th Street.
