The building at 2345 E. Evans Ave. still has its exposed brick and a structural timber beam. Canvas Credit Union kept both when it renovated the space. Construction started in December 2025, and the branch opened on Aug. 27, 2026. Before that, the address belonged to Pete's University Park Cafe, which served its last day on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. Westword covered the closing as the end of a fixture near the University of Denver campus.
In the months since, restaurant operators are competing for space on this strip, and the city has made Evans the detour route while it rebuilds the intersections at both ends of the corridor. For anyone in Observatory Park or University Park, the commercial street at the north edge of the neighborhood will look busier this winter than it did when Pete's closed.
The Diner Corner Now Has a Community Room
The family did not shut down entirely. Westword reported that they were consolidating into their other places: Pete's Kitchen, Pete's Satire Lounge and Pete's Central One. The corner then went to Canvas, which moved its University branch a short distance into about 2,225 square feet on the building's main floor and basement.
The new branch includes a community room. According to ColoradoBiz, Canvas will use it for educational programs, financial wellness events and neighborhood meetings. The credit union also said it would announce grand opening activities at a later date. The old diner corner now has a room set aside for neighborhood meetings. It doesn't serve breakfast.
Seven Offers for One Kitchen
Breakfast and dinner are moving a few blocks west, to 1737 E. Evans Ave. The 3,000-square-foot space there was home to the Mediterranean buffet Sawa until it closed earlier in 2026. Prospective tenants wanted it largely because it already had a kitchen. Solomon Stark of NAI Shames Makovsky, the building's broker, described the demand to The Denver Post:
"I had seven LOIs (letters of intent) on the space within a couple weeks of it being on the market. Very popular spot. All the offers were very competitive."
Post Oak Barbecue won the space. Owner Nick Prince opened the first Post Oak on Tennyson Street in Berkeley in 2019. According to the Post, that restaurant brought in $5 million in revenue last year and has 39 people on payroll. The Evans spot was the only one Prince toured. When his team learned that other bidders were in the running, it submitted a second, stronger offer that same night. Stark told the Post the owner chose by having lunch at the Tennyson Street restaurant first.
Prince told the Post why the location fit. "We just want to bring influence to the bottom half of Denver, including that DU market is just, I feel like it's so perfect for us," he said.
The buildout is costing about $750,000, which Prince is funding himself. The menu will be mostly the same as on Tennyson, and the larger kitchen will let him add brisket burgers and tomahawk steaks. In May, the target opening was October. Post Oak's Evans Avenue page now says "Grand Opening — December 2026" and is hiring for the Evans location.
The Rest of the Strip, Address by Address
Post Oak is the largest bet on the strip, but Westword's monthly restaurant roll calls show steady turnover all year on the blocks between Pete's old corner and South Downing.
| Address | Business | 2026 change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 S. University Blvd. | Einstein Bros. Bagels | Listed as opening in February |
| 1213 E. Evans Ave. | Einstein Bros. Bagels | Listed as closing in February |
| 1135 E. Evans Ave. | Convict Coffee | Listed as opening in May |
| 1505 E. Evans Ave. | Stoner Pizza Joint | Listed as opening in August |
| 1135 E. Evans Ave. | Yemen Grill & Cafe | Closed temporarily for updates in August, reopened in September |
| 1737 E. Evans Ave. | Post Oak Barbecue | Grand opening planned for December |
| 2345 E. Evans Ave. | Canvas Credit Union | Opened Aug. 27 |
In the same February roll call, Westword listed an Einstein Bros. opening at 2000 S. University Blvd. and a separate Einstein Bros. closing at 1213 E. Evans Ave. Westword reported in August that Yemen Grill had closed temporarily for updates to the space, with pickup and delivery still available. It was listed as reopened in September at 1135 E. Evans, the same address Westword gave for Convict Coffee in its May roll call. Stoner Pizza Joint took 1505 E. Evans, a few doors from Post Oak's future dining room.
The Road Is Being Rebuilt at Both Ends
The new businesses are opening onto a street that is also a construction route. In July 2026, Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure began the Buchtel Boulevard & Evans Intersection Improvements project. It is part of the University Safer Streets Program, and the city expects the work to take about 18 months, with completion anticipated in late 2027.
The project rebuilds five intersections. Two of them are on Evans, at University Boulevard and at Colorado Boulevard. Those are the two ends of the shopping and dining stretch. At the intersections, crews will realign travel lanes and replace traffic signals to reduce turning conflicts. Along Buchtel, the city is adding protected bike lanes, sidewalks and pedestrian crossings for about two miles.
The effect on Evans is easy to see. In the city's advisory for the first week of November, Buchtel was fully closed to through traffic from University Boulevard to St. Paul Street, with detours posted to Evans Avenue. The northbound right lane of University was also closed from East Jewell to the southbound I-25 on-ramp. Around mid-November, the city expects Buchtel to reopen to St. Paul as work moves to the west side of the University and Buchtel intersection, with southbound right-lane closures. The city says access to driveways and businesses will be maintained throughout.
The work schedule matters for weekday errands. Normal hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, with some overnight and weekend shifts. Single-lane closures and traffic shifts can happen from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays. DU hockey started on Oct. 10, and the city expects more congestion on the detour routes and heavy foot traffic around Lot 108 on game nights. On foot, the city recommends the north sidewalk and trail along Buchtel as the detour. A new ADA-compliant pedestrian route at the southeast corner of University and Buchtel takes about 1 to 2 extra minutes. The weekly advisories change often, so the city's project page has the current version.
The Park's Winter Calendar Stays Put
South of Evans, the neighborhood's winter dates are already set, and none of them depend on the construction. Chamberlin Observatory, at 2930 E. Warren Ave., hosts the Denver Astronomical Society's free monthly open houses. The listings call for telescope viewing if the weather allows, observatory tours after dark and no reservations.
- Nov. 14: Chamberlin open house
- Dec. 6, 3 to 5 p.m.: The University Park Community Council's Sing n' Sleigh Bells at the observatory, with horse-drawn carriage and wagon rides, a cookie potluck, Santa and observatory tours
- Dec. 12: Chamberlin open house
- Jan. 16: Chamberlin open house
- Feb. 13: Chamberlin open house
For more time at the telescopes, the society's ticketed Astronomy Nights run on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with some Saturdays. From September through March, sessions start at 7:30 p.m., and reservations are required. Most tickets go on sale 60 days in advance, and the society usually releases a few more on the first day of the event month. The November calendar lists Astronomy Nights on Nov. 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24 and 26. From the observatory lawn, East Evans is a few blocks north. That's where the old diner corner and Post Oak's new kitchen sit, along with the detour signs.
If you own near this corridor and want a clear read on where your home stands while the intersections are rebuilt and the storefronts fill in, Stuart Crowell offers private market valuations for homeowners in Observatory Park and University Park.
