LoHi SteakBar expansion includes nearly 1,000 sq ft

One of LoHi’s most popular neighborhood restaurants is expanding so it can accommodate larger parties.

LoHi SteakBar, owned and operated by Larimer Associates, plans to add nearly 1,000 square feet of space by taking over the area currently occupied by a tattoo parlor.

“The idea is to create a private dining room,” says COO Joe Vostrejs. Larimer Associates owns Denver’s venerable Larimer Square. “It’s a small restaurant and it’s very difficult for us to handle parties of 10 or 12. They end up taking half the dining room. We need a room that’s really connected but still separated.”

The expansion will also allow LoHi SteakBar -- now about 2,500 square feet -- to add a few tables to its patio and preparation space to its kitchen. 

During the last few years, Larimer Associates has beefed up its real estate portfolio, adding commercial and multifamily properties to its holdings. The company targets underserved neighborhoods for restaurant and retail redevelopments.

The company has a unique strategy of partnering with chefs and operators to establish restaurants in the buildings it owns. It teamed up with chef Sean Kelly three years ago to open LoHi SteakBar, spending about $1.5 million to buy and renovate the building at West 32nd Avenue and Tejon Street. Larimer Associates provides the human resources, accounting and marketing services and Kelly focuses on cooking.

The company has similar partnerships with Bistro Vendome, Billy’s Inn, Corridor 44, Euclid Hall, Ernie’s Bar and Pizza, Lowry Beer Garden, Madison Street, Rioja, Satchel’s on 6th and TAG.