A new sports bar near the Denver Tech Center has opened just in time to ride the wave of March Madness.
The Gridiron Grille, at 5650 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard near Interstate 25 and Orchard Road, opened March 2 and is co-owned by locals Tony McGuinnis and his sister-in-law Audra Jackson Powers. The pair decided to go into business together based on a mutual love of sports.
Both are from Aurora, where McGuinnis played basketball at Aurora Central and Powers played volleyball at Smoky Hill High School.
Powers’ two siblings played professional basketball and baseball, respectively. Brother Danny Jackson pitched for 15 years in Major League Baseball and was a key component in the Kansas City Royals’ 1985 world championship.
“Our family is so sports-oriented,” Powers said. “We grew up on sports from my mom and dad and brothers.”
The Gridiron Grille has eight HD televisions, including four that are 55 inches wide. After a busy grand-opening week, the sports bar is now preparing for the NCAA Tournament, which pits the best college basketball teams in the nation against each other from March 13 to April 2.
“We’re getting geared up for that. This is my favorite time of year, after all,” said McGuinnis, who stated basketball is his preferred sport.
McGuinnis said he expects to have specials on chicken wings during the tournament, as well as five domestic beers for $15 and five premium beers for $20. The restaurant is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 2 a.m., with a daily happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. The happy hour special features $1 off well cocktails, wine and beer.
The sports bar, which currently has 14 employees, will host events throughout the year. There likely will be specials for NHL, NBA, MLB and NFL playoffs, major college games, fantasy football draft parties and more.
McGuinnis is a fan of all the Denver sports teams, and stadium-goers who bring ticket stubs from the same day’s Rockies, Broncos, Nuggets or Avalanche games will receive discounted drinks. The business is within walking distance of the Orchard Road light rail station.
The food menu includes hand-tossed pizza, ground chuck burgers, chicken wings, salads, and other pub fare. Sandwiches are available for as low as $5.
The bar was formerly the Royal Gorge Tavern and, before that, Bayou Bob’s.
The restaurant’s interior is approximately 2,200 square feet, with an additional 1,300-square-foot outdoor patio. The owners are aiming for a friendly “Cheers-like” atmosphere that’s fun for sports fans of all ages.
“We want to be a friendly bar, a know-your-name type of bar,” McGuinnis said.
