Former Tattered Cover chief executive's independent bookstore, café, and wine bar secured construction and liquor approvals.
June 5th, 2026: Liquor license issued activeNew here? Follow stories to track developments over time. Create a free account to get updates when stories you care about change.
Overview
Updated 1 hour agoDenver Book Society has cleared the last city hurdles to open at 1700 N Humboldt St. City records show a construction permit filed May 4 and an active hotel-and-restaurant liquor license issued June 5.
Together, the records turn a long-vacant restaurant into a 3,500-square-foot bookstore, café, and wine bar. The business is cleared to operate, but it has not yet opened its doors.
Why it matters
If it opens as planned, City Park West gains an independent bookstore and café in a space that sat empty for years.
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Community-oriented bookstore, café, and wine bar planned for Denver's City Park West neighborhood.
The local government body whose permitting and licensing offices regulate commercial construction and alcohol sales in Denver.
Timeline
February 2026 June 2026
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Liquor license issued active
Latest LicenseDenver records show an active hotel-and-restaurant liquor license for Denver Book Society.
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Construction permit filed for tenant finish
PermitDenver records show a commercial alteration permit for the 1700 N Humboldt St space.
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Denver Book Society announced for former Humboldt Kitchen + Bar space
AnnouncementSpearman and Garvin plan a bookstore, café, and wine bar in the vacant restaurant.
Historical Context
3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
Powell's City of Books becomes a Portland landmark (1971)
Michael Powell opened a small used-book store in Portland, Oregon, in 1971. It grew into Powell's City of Books, a store that fills an entire city block.
It became one of the largest independent bookstores in the world and a required stop for visitors.
Its café and events helped establish the bookstore-as-gathering-place model.
Denver Book Society's mix of books, coffee, wine, and events is the same model, scaled to a 3,500-square-foot neighborhood space.
Tattered Cover's rise as a Denver institution (1974)
Joyce Meskis bought a small Denver bookstore in 1974 and built Tattered Cover into one of the country's largest independent bookstores. It hosted thousands of author events and became a civic gathering place.
The store anchored Denver's literary scene for decades and survived the rise of chain bookstores.
Tattered Cover later shrank and changed hands, showing how fragile even well-known bookstores can be.
Spearman led Tattered Cover before starting Denver Book Society. His new store uses the same community-anchor model in a neighborhood without a dedicated bookstore.
The Last Bookstore anchors downtown LA (2009)
Josh Spencer opened The Last Bookstore in a former bank building in downtown Los Angeles in 2009. It mixed used books, art, and event space in a neighborhood that had little retail foot traffic.
The store drew visitors and helped revive its block.
It became one of the best-known independent bookstores in the country and a model for bookstores as event venues.
Denver Book Society is making a similar bet: a book-focused gathering place meant to pull people into City Park West.
