Scooters Sports Bar & Grill may have scooted off into the sunset. The longtime watering hole that bills itself as “Aurora’s Favorite” abruptly cancelled today’s Summer Kick Off party, citing “building maintenance issues.” But while the same Instagram post says that Scooters is “still open to party,” the place is locked up tight, with a handwritten “closed” sign on the door.
At least you’ll get a chance to say goodbye to other favorites. Middleman is closing after this weekend, taking Misfit Snack Bar with it; a new Middleman incarnation will soon appear. There will be no reprieve for the two Great Divide bars in Denver, though; both are closing June 30, with the Barrel Bar location rumored to become a future padel facility. (The other Great Divide bars in the metro area will continue pouring; they’re under different ownership.)
But there’s good news, too. For the second week in a row, the biggest opening in metro Denver has pickleball on the menu. The national Chicken N Pickle chain now has a location at 14225 Lincoln Street in Thornton, which is celebrating its opening week with everything from free pickleball and food giveaways to a Sunday vendor fair. Beyond pickleball courts, the massive space has other yard games, a sports bar and a casual restaurant with a big menu…