For more than a decade, the corner of West 38th Avenue and Pierce Street defined the suburban craft beer experience in Jefferson County. Colorado Plus Cidery and Pub operated as a reliable clubhouse, pouring dozens of local microbrews alongside house-pressed ciders. When mounting economic pressures forced the pub to shutter its doors, the building’s sudden vacancy sent tremors through the Ridge at 38 commercial district. As reported on municipal shifts and regional civic oversight in a recent coloradopolitics.com Report, Wheat Ridge leaders have worked vigorously to retain retail vitality and pedestrian foot traffic across this core thoroughfare.

Now, the cavernous building at 6995 W. 38th Ave. has found an heir with an intensely loyal following. King of Wings, the cult-favorite brand that rebuilt its business from a devastating kitchen fire in 2022, took over the property to anchor its largest culinary footprint to date. The neighborhood colloquially calls the takeover "Wings on Wheat", a shorthand for the high-profile union between Wheat Ridge’s marquee culinary corridor and the metro area's most celebrated chicken wing operator.

📌 Key Takeaways:

• The Transition: Colorado Plus Cidery and Pub closed after 11 years of operation, transferring its 38th Avenue real estate to King of Wings founders Eddie Mendoza and Sacha Hebrank.
• The Footprint: The 5,000-square-foot footprint expands taproom capacity, preserves a massive draught line system, and establishes a secondary high-output smokehouse kitchen.
• Corridor Impact: The opening secures a cornerstone anchor for the Ridge at 38 district, reversing retail vacancy risks and bringing high-volume evening foot traffic back to Jefferson County dining.

The Fall of Colorado Plus and 38th Avenue's Craft Hub

When Colorado Plus opened in February 2013, it was a pioneering concept. The pub committed exclusively to Colorado-produced beers, ciders, and spirits, outfitting its tap wall with 56 handles. Founders Eugene and Amanda O’Neil built a community hub inside an unassuming mid-century structure, eventually launching an on-site cidery to broaden their portfolio. It functioned as an institution where regional brewers gathered after GABF shifts.

By late 2023, the financial math grew unsustainable. Independent craft breweries faced rising distribution costs, raw ingredient inflation, and declining margins on taproom beer sales. Colorado Plus survived the pandemic, but prolonged utility rate spikes and shifting consumer habits took their toll. The pub quietly ceased operations in early 2024, leaving patrons stranded and neighborhood officials concerned about a gaping retail void along West 38th Avenue.

Rising From Fire: The King of Wings Expansion Strategy

King of Wings walked an equally harrowing path to arrive at this crossroads. Established by Mendoza and Hebrank in a strip mall off 44th Avenue, the kitchen quickly captured statewide fame for its unique approach: slow-steaming wings, frying them crisp, tossing them in proprietary sauces, and searing them over open fire to caramelize the exterior.

In December 2020, an electrical kitchen fire gutted the original 44th Avenue shop. The shutdown lasted more than two years while insurance assessments and construction delays dragged on. Instead of folding, Mendoza and Hebrank shifted operations to a mobile food truck, opened an expansive taphouse in Golden along South Golden Road, and built an impassioned underground fanbase. By the time the original location finally reopened in 2023, the brand had outgrown its starter footprint. Taking over Colorado Plus offered immediate scale without starting from raw drywall.

Timeline of 6995 West 38th Avenue: 2013 to 2026

The transition between these two concepts illustrates how dining trends in the Denver metro area pivoted away from standard brewpubs toward focused specialty concepts that offer high-volume taproom experiences.

Wood Smoke, Open Flame, and 56 Craft Taps

Converting a traditional pub into a functional smoke-and-grill kitchen was no simple handover. The building required specialized ventilation upgrades. King of Wings uses commercial live-fire charbroilers to finish every batch of wings, demanding heavy-duty makeup air units that can exhaust high volumes of vaporized fat and woodsmoke.

Instead of ripping out the infrastructure that made Colorado Plus famous, the new ownership retained the extensive draught framework. Mendoza preserved the multi-line draft system, curating a rotating list of heavy hitters from WestFax Brewing, Cerebral, Outer Range, and Green Mountain Beer Company. The marriage works seamlessly: craft beer connoisseurs get access to elite cellar reserves, while food lovers get the signature tangy Gold sauce, Thai chili crisp, and blackened jalapeño dry rubs that built the restaurant’s reputation.

Economic Shifts Across the Jefferson County Food Scene

The survival of the 38th Avenue corridor reflects a broader trend playing out across Denver’s inner suburbs. Single-focus food brands with viral followings are systematically outperforming generalized American pub menus. Casual diners no longer want a sprawling 40-item menu where quality suffers across the board. They demand specialized execution.

Wheat Ridge’s local planning authorities spent millions developing the "Ridge at 38" brand over the past decade to draw foot traffic westward from the Denver-Highland boundary. When an anchor like Colorado Plus fails, nearby retailers, bakeries, and ice cream shops feel an immediate reduction in weekend commerce. By filling the space with an operator known for two-hour waits and regional drawing power, the corridor secured a protective economic buffer that keeps dollars circulating within Jefferson County.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Did Colorado Plus close permanently or relocate?
Colorado Plus Cidery and Pub closed permanently at 6995 W. 38th Ave. The owners opted to shutter operations rather than seek another retail location due to rising costs and shifting market demands.

Q2: Is the original King of Wings location on 44th Avenue still open?
Yes. The original flagship on 44th Avenue remains fully operational alongside their Golden taphouse. The 38th Avenue location functions as a flagship dining pub with expanded taproom seating and full patio accommodations.

Q3: What makes the wings at this location different from typical sports bars?
King of Wings uses a three-step cooking process. Chicken wings are steamed to render excess fat, fried for skin crispness, coated in house sauces, and finished over an open-flame grill to caramelize the sugars and impart wood-smoke notes.

Q4: Are the 56 craft beer taps still in use?
The draft infrastructure was largely retained. The ownership team uses the tap wall to showcase an expansive lineup of independent Colorado breweries, continuing the regional beer-focused tradition Colorado Plus started.

The Future of the Ridge at 38 Commercial Corridor

The successful revitalization of 6995 W. 38th Ave. highlights how thoughtful restaurant ownership transitions can preserve community spaces. Rather than seeing a beloved craft pub replaced by a generic corporate chain or flattened into high-density condos, Wheat Ridge gained a destination food operation built by local entrepreneurs who cut their teeth in the very same neighborhood.

Commercial longevity along 38th Avenue relies on dining destinations that pull crowds across municipal lines. With its expansive draft board humming and woodsmoke drifting across Pierce Street, the building has reclaimed its role as a neighborhood anchor. The identity of the pub has undeniably shifted, but the craft-focused spirit that first opened the doors in 2013 remains intact.