New Beer Garden Opens In Denver’s Historic Evans School

Photos courtesy of Marc Piscotty | The Schoolyard Cafe is a café and gathering place located in the historic Evans School campus in downtown Denver, Colorado offering morning coffee and freshly-baked pastries, deli-style hand-crafted sandwiches and salads, a curated wine selection and more

City Street Investors and partners Jerry and Fred Glick are thrilled to announce that the Schoolyard Beer Garden and the Schoolyard Café will open on Monday, April 21st inside Denver’s historic Evans School.

Located in the heart of the Golden Triangle neighborhood, the Evans School has an amazing downtown location immediately South of the Denver Art Museum, and has easy access to the State Capitol, History Colorado, Civic Center Park and more. Originally opened in 1904 as a public elementary school, the “Classical Revival” building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been vacant for more than four decades. 

Denver’s City Street Investors – a key member of the team that redeveloped Denver Union Station, along with the Hangar 2 Lowry project and several other local restaurants – is dedicated to creating extraordinary places that synchronize the needs and desires of the community while adding transformative financial and social value.  Partners Jerry and Fred Glick are long-time Denver developers with a track record of adaptive reuse projects in historic buildings.

“The Evans School is a magnificent Denver landmark and we are excited to share this unique downtown space with a new generation of Denverites,” said Joe Vostrejs, co-founder and principal at City Street Investors. “We held extensive neighborhood 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.”

The building’s original historic details have been preserved, including the ornate copper and brass staircases, tin ceilings and extensive woodwork. The building has brand new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems along with fully updated restrooms. 

The Evans School now features extensive outdoor gathering spaces complete with traditional beer garden-style tables for communal dining, cozy fire pits and more.

The Schoolyard Beer Garden is an indoor and outdoor beer garden located in the historic Evans School campus in downtown Denver, Colorado offering brats, sandwiches, burgers, salads, cocktails, a large beer selection and more

The Schoolyard Beer Garden

The Schoolyard Beer Garden will pour more than a dozen Colorado craft beers, with 18 beers on tap and several more available by the bottle and can. 

Open daily at 11 a.m, the Schoolyard Beer Garden menu features a variety of hearty burgers, brats and sandwiches, including an ABC Burger with avocado, bacon, Swiss cheese, tomato and mayo and the Coloradoan Brat, an elk jalapeno cheddar brat with pepper jack cheese, roasted poblanos and chipotle aioli. The Schoolyard Beer Garden will also serve refreshing salads and hearty bowls, including Harissa Chicken Bowl made with grilled chicken, kale, feta, hummus, avocado, cucumber, roasted corn, pickled onion and topped with harissa vinaigrette 

The inviting space is adorned with custom Colorado art, including colorful, hand stitched banners created by local artist Lonnie Hanzon and a mural featuring historic school photos. The original Evans School boiler room doors hang in the sunlit space. 

For more information, please visit www.schoolyardbeergarden.com.

The Schoolyard Café 

Neighbors can start the day off at the welcoming Schoolyard Café, which will serve fresh brewed coffee, delicious pastries, yogurt parfaits and breakfast burritos. Offering all-day counter service and grab-and-go items, guests can enjoy an elevated deli experience featuring artisanal salads, panini sandwiches and more. Healthy menu options include the Chickpea & Quinoa Salad with arugula, quinoa, chickpea, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, dried cranberries, mint and a white balsamic vinaigrette, along with a variety of savory sandwiches and wraps – including a Chicken Bacon Wrap made with roasted chicken, crispy bacon, sprouts, avocado, tomato and Havarti cheese with garlic dill aioli in a spinach tortilla.

In the evening, the Schoolyard Café will serve a curated menu of butter boards and charcuterie platters, each one featuring a handpicked selection of fresh herbs, edible flowers, fried thyme, sundried tomato, pine nuts and more. 

Don’t miss the savory Schoolyard Café desserts, including cheesecakes and chocolate peanut butter bars. The Schoolyard Café has a full bar pouring an extensive menu of wines by the glass. 

The Schoolyard Café will scoop eight flavors of locally made ice cream, available both inside and from a window facing the enclosed courtyard on W. 11th Avenue. 

For more information on the Schoolyard Café, please visit www.schoolyardcafe.com.