DENVER – After a two-year closure, Welton Street Cafe is getting closer to opening its new restaurant just one block away from its old location.
Welton Street Cafe was a community staple in Denver for nearly 40 years.
In 2021, while located at 27th Street and Welton Street, the cafe faced a broken HVAC system and landlord issues. Denver7 viewers raised more than $40,000 to help the cafe, which was one of the last Black-owned restaurants in Denver's Five Points neighborhood at the time, but ultimately the restaurant would close and move to a new location.
“This is a huge, emotional conversation for me. I don't feel like I'm past the grief, past the trauma of what has really happened to me and my family. It's been hard to even just walk out of my house, you know, because people... have so many questions,” said Fathima Dickerson, co-owner of Welton Street Cafe. “During the two years that we've been closed, we were catering, which has gotten put on pause because I have a torn meniscus in a strained MCL. My sister tore her ACL.”
But as catering winds down, contractors are getting close to finishing the new space. The restaurant has experienced several construction delays over the past few months.
“We have a complete team. We meet weekly so that we're just trying to keep up to date with what's going on. But there are a number of things that are out of control when it comes to construction, when it comes to the city,” Dickerson said.
But Dickerson said she is hopeful the new restaurant located at 28th Street and Welton Street will offer a fresh start.
“Welton Street Cafe doesn't exist anymore. Not over there. This is a new beginning for Welton Street Cafe. And we feel like we are going to need a lot of support on this corner from the landlords, from the patrons, from everybody,” Dickerson said.
Dickerson’s father, co-owner Flynn Dickerson, is also keeping an eye on construction progress.
“It's frustrating because... I look at this space — I was a laborer, when I first got here. And I was going to school at the time. So I would do labor work in the summer. And so I saw the space, thought it was possible to complete in six months. It's been almost two years. So it's frustrating,” he said.
But Flynn Dickerson said he's also grateful.
"I came from a small community in St. Thomas. And I have to say this, my community made me. It was a village. I brought the community from the islands here. And I was determined when I came to Five Points, this was going to be like a community. And it turned out to be community. So I'm grateful for my community,” Flynn Dickerson said.
Fathima Dickerson said they plan to host a grand opening event early next year but are hoping to host a soft opening sooner.
“We're looking for our Christmas miracle. So if we can have our Christmas miracle, we hope to feed some families on Christmas Day, in any capacity that we can,” Dickerson said.
Dickerson said her family is ready to once again become a community gathering place in the heart of Five Points.
