AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q Steakhouse has closed at 81 S. Pennsylvania St. in Denver. (Thomas Gounley/BusinessDen)
Jared Leonard is putting his steakhouse on the back burner for a little while.
“The concept definitely has a version 2.0,” he said.
The restaurateur opened AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q Steakhouse at 81 S. Pennsylvania St. near West Wash Park in January after experimenting with at least three other concepts there in the past four years. But Leonard closed the eatery earlier this month, and told BusinessDen he’s no longer leasing the space after this month.
He’s looking to the south for a new steakhouse location, specifically mentioning Parker and Lone Tree as possible candidates. His old spot lacked the parking and seating to “make the math work” on his business.
“You need 100-150 seats to get your full big-dinner turn, because there’s no lunch business at a steakhouse,” Leonard said, adding that his existing location had half that – around 50 seats.
Items on the menu included a 14-ounce “cowboy cut” ribeye for $92 and an 18-ounce flatiron for $37, according to the restaurant’s website. Sides and salads were $18 or $20 apiece. Steaks are smoked, sous-vide and finished on the grill. Leonard said his butcher was Rugby Scott Ranch Provisions in Bonnie Brae.
For those looking to get their wood-fired fill in the meantime, Leonard’s other AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q — which is a counter-service barbeque joint, not a steakhouse — will remain open at 2180 S. Delaware St. in Denver’s Overland neighborhood.
Leonard is also planning to open a steakhouse location in Mexico this fall.
“I’ve always wanted to bring our American protein down there,” he said.
AJ’s Prime Steakhouse will sit on a rooftop overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the town of Punta Mita. The space has about a hundred seats, which Leonard said will be a perfect test for his theory on how many chairs his business needs to thrive. He also has the AJ’s barbeque concept on the ground floor of the building, which opened in May.
The seasons also complement each other well, he added. The winter is the busy season for the tiny Mexican resort town, while it’s quieter in Denver. In the summer, things wind down south of the border, but pick up in the Centennial State.
Leonard plans to spend the next few months focusing on his businesses abroad. He doesn’t expect his steakhouse to reopen in a new location locally until the latter half of 2025.
“My go-to meal there was the ribeye and creamed spinach,” he said, adding that he prefers his steak medium-rare.
Leonard’s concepts are subsidiaries of his larger hospitality company, Campfire Concepts Ltd., which he co-owns with his wife, Amanda. The brand owns Grabowski’s Pizzeria, 13795 W. Jewell Ave. in Lakewood and Campfire Evergreen, a pizza and BBQ spot at 27883 Meadow Drive.
Leonard has listed the real estate for Campfire’s other location in Lakewood at 840 Tabor St. for sale, planning to give up the building to an investor and lease it back. His lender on that property had filed to foreclose on it, but Leonard said an agreement was reached that halted those proceedings.
“It costs twice as much to own as opposed to rent,” he said.
AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q Steakhouse has closed at 81 S. Pennsylvania St. in Denver. (Thomas Gounley/BusinessDen)
Jared Leonard is putting his steakhouse on the back burner for a little while.
“The concept definitely has a version 2.0,” he said.
The restaurateur opened AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q Steakhouse at 81 S. Pennsylvania St. near West Wash Park in January after experimenting with at least three other concepts there in the past four years. But Leonard closed the eatery earlier this month, and told BusinessDen he’s no longer leasing the space after this month.
He’s looking to the south for a new steakhouse location, specifically mentioning Parker and Lone Tree as possible candidates. His old spot lacked the parking and seating to “make the math work” on his business.
“You need 100-150 seats to get your full big-dinner turn, because there’s no lunch business at a steakhouse,” Leonard said, adding that his existing location had half that – around 50 seats.
Items on the menu included a 14-ounce “cowboy cut” ribeye for $92 and an 18-ounce flatiron for $37, according to the restaurant’s website. Sides and salads were $18 or $20 apiece. Steaks are smoked, sous-vide and finished on the grill. Leonard said his butcher was Rugby Scott Ranch Provisions in Bonnie Brae.
For those looking to get their wood-fired fill in the meantime, Leonard’s other AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q — which is a counter-service barbeque joint, not a steakhouse — will remain open at 2180 S. Delaware St. in Denver’s Overland neighborhood.
Leonard is also planning to open a steakhouse location in Mexico this fall.
“I’ve always wanted to bring our American protein down there,” he said.
AJ’s Prime Steakhouse will sit on a rooftop overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the town of Punta Mita. The space has about a hundred seats, which Leonard said will be a perfect test for his theory on how many chairs his business needs to thrive. He also has the AJ’s barbeque concept on the ground floor of the building, which opened in May.
The seasons also complement each other well, he added. The winter is the busy season for the tiny Mexican resort town, while it’s quieter in Denver. In the summer, things wind down south of the border, but pick up in the Centennial State.
Leonard plans to spend the next few months focusing on his businesses abroad. He doesn’t expect his steakhouse to reopen in a new location locally until the latter half of 2025.
“My go-to meal there was the ribeye and creamed spinach,” he said, adding that he prefers his steak medium-rare.
Leonard’s concepts are subsidiaries of his larger hospitality company, Campfire Concepts Ltd., which he co-owns with his wife, Amanda. The brand owns Grabowski’s Pizzeria, 13795 W. Jewell Ave. in Lakewood and Campfire Evergreen, a pizza and BBQ spot at 27883 Meadow Drive.
Leonard has listed the real estate for Campfire’s other location in Lakewood at 840 Tabor St. for sale, planning to give up the building to an investor and lease it back. His lender on that property had filed to foreclose on it, but Leonard said an agreement was reached that halted those proceedings.
“It costs twice as much to own as opposed to rent,” he said.
