City Cast Denver

Way back in 1981, a humble New York transplant named Jimmy Lambatos opened an innovative toasted sub shop at the corner of 13th Avenue and Grant. Denverites quickly fell in love with Quiznos, fueling the rise of a sandwich empire to more than 5,000 locations around the world by the mid 2000s. But now, as Westword’s food editor Molly Martin reported last week, Quiznos is on the ropes, and that first location has been shuttered due to non-payment of taxes. So today, Molly returns to the show with producer Paul Karolyi and newsletter editor Peyton Garcia to talk through the rise and fall of Quiznos and the surprisingly Denver story of founder Jimmy Lambatos. 

We discussed Molly’s interview with Quiznos founder Jimmy Lambatos and Peyton’s deep dive into the fall of Quiznos. Paul mentioned the recent auditor’s report on Denver’s response to the homelessness crisis. 

All the other great local sandwich places we mentioned:

For even more local sandwich goodness, we settled the great Snarfs vs. Cheba Hut debate on the show last fall. 

Do you have nostalgia for Quiznos’ early years? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear your story on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

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• The North Face

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It’s time for the thrilling conclusion to Cherry Creek Week!

All week long, we’ve been talking about one of Denver’s most divisive neighborhoods: Cherry Creek. How will the community deal with the vexing problems brought by an imminent wave of development? Can it find a solution to the ongoing fight — and current impasse — over transportation infrastructure? As the historians taught us, change is inevitable. So how can we make the most of all this interest in Cherry Creek? At the annual Transportation Solutions conference Wednesday morning, host Bree Davies talked through some real solutions with a panel of experts, including SEIU Local 105 political director True Apodaca, the City of Denver’s city-wide manager for transit-oriented development Chris Nevitt, and the man Westword dubbed “the good developer” David Zucker of Zocalo Community Development. 

We’ll be back with our usual Friday news round-up next week!

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866.

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Got thoughts or feelings about Cherry Creek Week? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsor of this episode:

• Transportation Solutions

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It’s Cherry Creek Week, Day Four!

The story of Cherry Creek is the story of big dreams, yet with each exciting new project, the clash of old vs. new continues. Today, we’re examining what one developer has planned for that abandoned sea of parking lots just to the west of the mall. Amy Cara talks with host Bree Davies about her vision for Cherry Creek West — what could be multiple towers of offices, housing, retail, and some needed green space. 

Then we (virtually) travel all the way to the outskirts of Washington D.C. to check out Tysons — a suburban mall formerly surrounded by parking lots, much like our beloved Cherry Creek. Tysons is well on its way to becoming a true 15-minute city, where thousands of people can live, walk, ride, roll, and take the train anywhere they need to go in no more than 15 minutes. Bree talks to an insider with the Tysons project, Justin Schor, to get some insight on how density can be done right. 

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

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Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsor of this episode:

• Transportation Solutions

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It’s Cherry Creek Week — Day Three!

When Denverites talk about Cherry Creek, the conversation often goes to the neighborhood’s multi-million dollar homes and high-end shops like Hermés, Louis Vuitton, and Neiman Marcus. But what about the people who make the community, well, work? As one of the largest private employers in the city, Cherry Creek Shopping Center and neighboring Cherry Creek North couldn’t function without the salespeople, janitors, hotel clerks, hairstylists, restaurant hosts, and valets who come to work every day. Today, host Bree Davies — a former mall employee of 17 years — talks with her friend and former coworker David Casados about why workers just like them are a crucial part of the Cherry Creek story. 

Got a question or comment about what’s going on in Cherry Creek? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

You may have recognized David Casados’ voice from a previous City Cast Denver episode — he joined us for a meal at Fuel & Iron, a downtown Denver bar that was Pueblo-themed.

Bree mentioned Dominion Voting Systems’ high-profile settlement with Fox News. For more on the local angle to the Dominion story and misinformation surrounding the 2020 election, check out our interview with Westword editor Patty Calhoun from last November. 

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

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Learn more about the sponsor of this episode:

• Transportation Solutions

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Cherry Creek Week continues!

Sometimes it feels like the only constant in Denver is change. And that feeling is especially present in Cherry Creek, a community that today is known as a high-end shopping destination — but it wasn’t always this way. The neighborhood is named for the waterway running alongside it, a natural resource that has been attracting people for hundreds of years. Back in the mid-1800s, settlers came from all over the country to make a home in Colorado, including many Black families and homesteaders who put down roots in what at the time was known as the town of Harman. Today, host Bree Davies hears from Terri Gentry of History Colorado and retired judge Gary Jackson about the Black families of early Cherry Creek, as well as the area’s evolution under Temple Buell’s vision from farmland to city dump to the wealthy neighborhood of this century. 

Don’t miss the $15 million real estate listing Bree cited for the home that was once Harman Town Hall!

Bree also mentioned the original Quiznos, on 13th Ave., and the Nuggets opening playoff win. 

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver

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Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsor of this episode:

• Transportation Solutions

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Welcome to Cherry Creek Week!

Density. Growth. Infrastructure. Housing. Overcrowding. These words represent our biggest challenge as a city: How can Denver grow without changing all the things that make it great? All this week on the show — and in our newsletter Hey Denver — we’re exploring that question in one neighborhood that’s near and dear to our hearts (and the city’s tax base): Cherry Creek. For decades, Cherry Creek has grappled with what it means to not only become a shopping destination, but a rival of downtown, an epicenter for international business, and a very desirable place to live. And today, we’re kicking things off by looking at the imminent wave of development that could reshape Cherry Creek forever.

Join us in person to continue the conversation about transportation and density in Cherry Creek! Our sponsor, Transportation Solutions, is hosting us for a discussion with a panel of expert guests this Wednesday morning at the University of Denver. Get your tickets here!

Have thoughts on the future of Cherry Creek? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver

Or instagram: @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

• Transportation Solutions

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

The Nuggets are having one of their best seasons in decades as they take the number one seed in the Western Conference Finals. But after years of negotiations between Comcast and Altitude Sports, many Nuggs fans still can’t watch the team legally. Host Bree Davies is joined by Altitude sportscaster Vic Lombardi and our state politics and green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval to talk #nugglife, plus their shared love of Denver’s Northside, since both Vic and Justine grew up there. And of course, we’ve got our favorite picks for your weekend plans — newsletter editor Adrian González is joined by our returning editor Peyton Garcia, who’s back on the show after maternity leave. Welcome back, Peyton!

Northside spots mentioned in this episode:

Follow our weather guy for all your weekend weather needs: Rain or Shine, it's Andy Stein!

Here are some links to the cool events and things to do that we talked about on the show:

Subscribe to Hey Denver, our kickass morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866

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Is the Polis administration’s “More Housing Now” proposal the solution to our state’s affordable housing woes? Some think it’s a step in the right direction, while others are skeptical. This sweeping plan — Senate Bill 213 — could end single-family-only zoning across Colorado and move some aspects of decision-making power from the local to the state level. One of the sponsors of the bill, House District 2 Representative Steven Woodrow, joins host Bree Davies to talk about what’s in the proposal, and what it means for our neighborhoods, the climate, and the future of affordable housing options in Colorado.

You can find out more about the bill from the governor’s office, including the results of a housing policy study. CPR also has a comprehensive breakdown of the proposal.

Yesterday, Mayor Hancock and City Council President Torres issued a statement regarding the City and County of Denver’s opposition to SB 213. You can read that statement here.

Tonight’s the night! Come see Bree read from her teenage journals at Mortified Live at 8pm! Grab your tickets here. To help you get into the right headspace, check out Bree’s Very ’90s Mortified Teenage Mixtape on Spotify!

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

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Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

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Sam Tallent is kind of a big deal — the Denver metro-raised comedian has been touring the stand-up circuit for years, honing his act and making a name for himself outside Colorado. He’s also recorded his own comedy special, made appearances on WTF with Marc Maron and Bert Kreisher’s Bertcast, and even found time to write Running the Light, a book fellow comedians have praised as the best depiction of the life of a stand-up on the road. Tomorrow night, Sam headlines a sold-out show at Comedy Works, his old stomping grounds. But first, he chats with host Bree Davies about the Denver DIY scene he cut his comedic teeth in, and why this is such a unique city for great comedy to thrive.

Find Sam TaIlent on Instagram and Twitter, and check out Chubby Behemoth, his podcast with fellow comedian Nathan Lund.

Venues we discussed:

Denver Comedy Underground, Comedy Works, and The Squire Lounge. R.I.P.: Old Curtis Street, Rhinoceropolis, Mouth House, Rockaway, and Deer Pile.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver

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Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

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It’s Tuesday and we’re talking about the big stories around Denver this week, especially what’s happening with Denver Public Schools. On Wednesday, a high school student was forcibly removed from the House gallery in the Capitol, which comes on the heels of the protests and concerns about gun violence in schools in light of the recent shootings. Meanwhile, more drama for the DPS school board: Former Tattered Cover CEO and mayoral candidate Kwame Spearman announced a possible November bid for the at-large seat on the board — a seat that’s currently held by Auon’tai Anderson, who is himself potentially facing another censure. Farther afield, mountain pie slinger Beau Jo’s in Idaho Springs turns 50 and will be transitioning to an employee ownership model. Host Bree Davies and producer Erin O’Toole are here to break all of this down, plus talk about the latest Casa Bonita news, including this trip down memory lane. 

Check out the Denver Post article we mentioned, which dives into the expulsion rates at DPS and how that fits into the school safety conversation.

Listen to our interview with Melanie Asmar last year, where she walked us through the school board drama.

And in case you missed it, here’s our 2021 interview with new Casa Bonita chef Dana Rodriguez.

If you’re interested in running the Colfax Marathon in May, you can register here (prices go up Thursday). Want to volunteer and get one of those limited-edition Casa Bonita shirts? You can find out more about volunteering and sign up here.

It’s not too late to get tickets for Mortified Live on April 13! Find out more and grab your ticket here.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver

Or Instagram: @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise