Boulder Social fires up brewery at former Ska Street Brewstillery location

Six months after the Ska Street Brewstillery closed its doors in Boulder, a new brewery and restaurant is preparing to open in its place. But not just any brewery.

Boulder Social comes from seasoned restaurateur and Colorado brewery pioneer Frank Day, who opened the legendary Walnut Brewery in Boulder in 1990 and Rock Bottom Brewing in Denver in 1991 before turning Rock Bottom into a national chain. Today, Day and his wife, Gina, own Concept Restaurants, an umbrella company with nine existing eateries.

The menu at Boulder Social will focus on house-made beer and pizza, but like its sister business, Stout Street Social in Denver, it will also offer burgers, sandwiches, sushi and oysters, according to an announcement. It’s expected to open by in late July or early August.

Concept bought the brewing equipment already in place from Ska Street Brewstillery, which opened in March 2020, just one day before pandemic restrictions forced bars and restaurants to close all over the state. As a result of that bad timing, the combination brewery and distillery, which was owned by Durango’s Ska Brewing, was never able to get its feet off the ground.

But Concept has enlisted Ska Street’s former head “brewstiller” Damon Scott to lead beer making operations. Boulder Social, at 1600 38th St., will launch with four beers — a pilsner, an amber ale, an India pale ale and a hazy IPA — that may eventually be served at Concept’s other restaurants. The bar will serve guest beers, wine, frozen drinks and craft cocktails as well.

Prior to Ska Street, the space was used by Fate Brewing, which folded in 2019 after six years. But a spokesperson for Concept says the Days aren’t worried about that.

“The Days had a successful restaurant, José Muldoons, at the same location for 20 years, so it is a very familiar spot to us and we’re excited to be back,” she said. Frank Day also founded the Old Chicago pizza and beer chain before selling it in 2010.

The location will feature two patios and is expected to host live music.

Boulder Social joins a lengthy list of soon-to-come breweries, including Second Dawn Brewing in Aurora, Prost Brewing Co. in Northglenn and a recently opened Westbound & Down Brewing Co. taproom in Denver.

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