18 APRIL 24-30, 2025 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Time to Play Hooky! BY CYNTHIA BARNES Want to recapture the teenage thrill of cut- ting class and drinking beer? Now you can — right on campus, with nary a principal or truancy offi cer in sight. After sitting empty for fi fty years, the historic Evans School in the Golden Triangle now welcomes kids of all ages to the Schoolyard Café and School- yard Beer Garden (although beer is still limited to those over twenty). Built in 1904 and named for territorial gov- ernor John Evans, who lost that job after the Sand Creek Massacre but made a comeback as a city booster, the three-storied, red-bricked, copper-cupolaed Classical Revival structure served primarily as an elementary school; for decades, it was the only educational in- stitution where the area’s deaf, blind and handicapped students received an education. The Schoolyard Beer Garden and School- yard Café, which opened on April 21, are the latest project of City Street Investors, the team behind the redevelopment of Denver’s Union Station, Hangar 2 Lowry and Edgewater Beer Garden, among other places; it purchased the property in 2019. “It’s hard to believe that in such a great location, that building could sit basically unused for half a century,” says Joe Vostrejs, one of City Street’s founders and principals. “We were very excited to get it.” The vision in 2019 called for converting the two upper fl oors into co-working and offi ce space, but the pandemic forced a re- evaluation. Currently, the spiffed-up fi rst fl oor contains the beer garden and the café. “We plan to lease out the balance of the fi rst fl oor to as many retail- and wellness-related uses as we can,” adds Vostrejs. “We held neigh- borhood focus groups and what we heard over and over again is that people wanted a center of gravity, a vibrant place where they can hang out with friends and family, enjoy a cup of good coffee or a glass of wine or a beer, and shop for local goods and services. We’d like to fully activate it as a truly public space.” And what a space it is: The former school remained remarkably unchanged during the decades it sat vacant, with both the penny- tile entry fl oor and the copper-accented double stairwell pristine. The former boiler room offers cozy, lower-level seating, ac- cented by imposing double-height doors and hung with colorful banners designed by artist Lonnie Hanzon. Framed architectural renderings — “we found those in a pile in the attic,” says Vostrejs — and historic school photos round out the decor. The café opens each morning with pas- tries, burritos and other breakfast good- ies, along with freshly-brewed beans from Boulder’s Conscious Coffee. Lunch sees a transition to deli sandwiches, salads and other quick-service offerings. At 4 p.m. daily, the space becomes a wine bar, with cocktails, charcuterie, artisanal butter boards and other nibbles. Locally made ice cream (in- cluding boozy) milkshakes will satisfy sweet tooths, while the spacious school grounds feature fi re pits and comfy seating. On the beer garden side of things, suds lovers will fi nd more than a dozen local beers, with eighteen brews on tap, along with burg- ers, brats, fries, gyros, salads and hearty bowls. Future plans for the space include a walk- up window at the café, as well as opening the school’s updated, 4,000 square-foot auditorium as an event space for celebrations and meetings. But in the meantime, give these developers extra credit for bringing a landmark back to life. Schoolyard Beer Garden & Schoolyard Café is now open at 1115 Acoma Street. The cafe’s hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Satur- day; for more information, go to schoolyardcafe. com. The beer garden is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday and Monday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; fi nd more info at schoolyardbeergarden.com. CAFE FIND MORE FOOD & DRINK COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/RESTAURANTS The patio is perfect for playing hooky. MARC PISCOTT Y
