It’s been a busy year for New Image Brewing.
Months after shuttering its farm-to-table concept Table in favor of a more casual burger-focused menu courtesy of Arty’s Express, the Arvada-based beer maker has outgrown its Yukon Street digs and will be moving across the Olde Town pedestrian walkway into the old Mangiami’s location at 5614 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard.
To kick off the transition, New Image and Arty’s are hosting a pop-up in their new space from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on June 14 and 15 — about a month later, on July 12, the brewery/restaurant will host a grand opening and be completely moved out of their 5622 Yukon Street location, which will remain open in the interim.
New Image’s General Manager Butch Gregg said that the demand ushered in by Arty’s — a spinoff of Little Arthur’s Hoagies which was the subject of a viral internet meme that helped draw folks — made staying on Yukon Street unrealistic. The new location will have table service, whereas the old spot had folks order at the counter.
“We’re really excited to get in there, have our grand opening and expand the menu a little bit,” Gregg said. “We’re going to bring some salads and some fun stuff on the food side, and all the same New Image stuff. So, still doing really good cocktails with fresh-squeezed juice and all local Colorado spirits.
“We’re just excited to bring more. I think the big thing for me is just the service aspect. We’re going to more table service. The demand has just been astronomical, and I think the service, in the way that we had set it up, was kind of lacking a little bit. When you have 12-person lines on a Friday night, it doesn’t really feel great. So, we’re excited to get people what they want much more quickly and at a better pace.”
Gregg said the move will also preempt New Image and Arty’s to formalize their partnership. Both brands are on the door, and Gregg said one side of the restaurant will be more food-focused while the other half will be more beer-oriented.
“Now that we feel confident in the future of this partnership, the first thing we wanted was a bigger kitchen,” Gregg said. “The second thing we want is to be able to be in a better spot. When (New Image Founder) Brandon (Capps) was first starting the business 10 years ago, he wanted to be on Olde Wadsworth.
“When Mangiami’s opened up, we had a meeting with the landlord, and it was just super seamless and easy,” Gregg continued. “It’s never easy to move a restaurant, but it’s way easier when it’s only a block away. We’re just able to do so much more there, and there’s just so much more walk-through traffic. So, we’re really excited to have a little bit of a tailwind behind us, rather than a headwind.”
Mangiami’s closed after being seized twice by the city of Arvada for unpaid taxes. The restaurant was the brainchild of the team behind the former Olde Town vegan eatery Urban Beets.
Olde Town Business Improvement District Executive Director Joe Hengstler said he was looking forward to New Image moving into its new digs.
“New Image has become synonymous with great, quality beer,” Hengstler said. “Not only were they one of the first in the state to dive into hazy IPAs, they have also really expanded their offerings over the years with different styles and collaborations with some of the state’s most respected breweries.
“It has been awesome to watch them expand over the years,” Hengstler continued. “The addition of Arty’s and a new food menu has made them a destination not only for beer, but also amazing food. We are so glad that they have made the decision to stay in Olde Town and continue to grow.”