Nana's Dim Sum & Dumplings files construction permit and liquor licence application for Denver's 8th & Colorado

Overview

Updated 2 hours ago

Nana's Dim Sum & Dumplings has applied for a liquor licence and a construction permit for a restaurant at 805 N Albion Street, in Denver's 8th & Colorado development. Both applications are in city review.

Plans describe a 5,412-square-foot buildout with a dining room for 289 people, a bar, a kitchen, and 18 parking spaces, at a construction valuation of about $245,000. The city lists the construction application as under review; the permit documents do not include an opening date.

Why it matters

The 8th & Colorado location would give Denver diners a new dim sum option and extend the chain's multi-city expansion.

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Key Indicators

$245K

Construction valuation

Total valuation listed in the Denver permit application.

5,412 sq ft

Planned restaurant size

Footprint of the tenant improvement, per permit plans.

289

Planned occupant load

Total people the restaurant can hold, per the permit plans.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Organizations Involved

Nana's Dim Sum & Dumplings

Restaurant chain

Applicant for a new Denver location at 8th & Colorado

Regional dim sum and dumpling chain with locations across Colorado, New York, and Oklahoma.

City of Denver

Municipal government

Reviewing the construction and liquor licence applications

Denver's permitting office, which is reviewing the 8th & Colorado construction application.

Timeline

September 2026 October 2026

2 events Latest: Yesterday

October 2026
Construction permit record published
Latest Permit

Denver publishes a commercial construction permit record for the tenant finish buildout at the address.
Yesterday
September 2026
Liquor licence application pending
Licence

Denver records show a pending liquor licence application for Nana's at 805 N Albion St, classed as hotel and restaurant.
September 27th, 2026

Scenarios

Permits approved, Nana's 8th & Colorado opens to diners

Likely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Developing MyCity (Denver development news site)

Denver approves the construction permit and liquor licence. Buildout proceeds, the city issues a certificate of occupancy, and Nana's opens the restaurant. The chain's other planned locations, including a Denver Golden Triangle spot listed as opening soon, may open around the same time.

Permit review stalls, opening slips past 2027

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: No specific analyst or publication currently predicts a stall

The building application stays in review or is amended with new plans. Construction does not finish by the end of 2027, pushing the opening into 2028 or later. This can happen if city reviewers request changes or the project changes scope.

Project withdrawn or cancelled

Unlikely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: No specific analyst or publication currently predicts cancellation

Nana's withdraws the permit application or stops pursuing the location. The chain could shift focus to other planned markets, including Golden, Hoboken, and West Hartford, leaving the 8th & Colorado space unbuilt.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1958-2013

Din Tai Fung (1958-2013)

A family-owned shop in Taipei started as a cooking-oil business in 1958 and began selling steamed soup dumplings in 1972. It expanded to Hong Kong in 2000, to the United States in 2013, and has since opened locations across Asia, the US, and Australia.

Then

The company earned a Michelin star for its Hong Kong branch, putting Taiwanese dumpling culture in the international spotlight.

Now

It proved a specialty dumpling concept could grow from one shop into a global chain with a strong brand.

Why this matters now

Nana's is building a similar dumpling-focused brand, but regionally across Colorado and beyond rather than globally.

2001-2015

Shake Shack (2001-2015)

A hot dog cart opened by Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group in New York's Madison Square Park in 2001. It became a permanent kiosk in 2004, expanded to dozens of cities, and went public in January 2015.

Then

Shake Shack's IPO raised roughly $100 million and valued the chain at more than $1 billion.

Now

It demonstrated how a single-concept food business could scale into a national chain with strong brand recognition.

Why this matters now

Like Nana's, Shake Shack started as a focused food concept and expanded into new markets — a path Nana's appears to be following across the Front Range and beyond.