Jonesy's Gets a Facelift, Including Pagliacci's Furniture

Jonesy's, the Uptown eatery and bar got a major facelift. From floor to ceiling and many places in between, Leigh Jones and her business partner, Margaret Moore, upgraded their five and a half year old restaurant while maintaining the character that created a loyal base of customers. "The regulars have taken it very well", Jones said of the remodel. "The day after we did it I wondered if we made it too fancy. One of the reasons people came here was that it felt a little mismatchy and homey, but it has been well-received," she added. Fueled by need to change the carpet in the dining area, Jones and Moore decided to put a fresh new spin on the cozy and familiar look.

Grid View

So, what changed? The carpet in the main was replaced with wood floors. Guests who see that new floor now may be surprised by how well it blends into the rest of the space, a mix of eclectic and well-worn items that range from old family photos to furniture and art that remained in the space from previous tenants. The look of the floor - a seamless match with the rest of the eclectic and well-worn space- is no coincidence. After the floor installation, the crew at Jonesy's "worked" it for several weeks before a seal was finally put on the surface. At the back of the dining room, the last five feet of the new wooden floor were raised about a foot, providing a stage-like platform for live performances like the one that Jonesy's will host on New Year's eve featuring the live five piece jazz band, Smash Lounge.

If the ceilings seem higher than before and the paint fresher, that is just an optical illusion. For the longest time, Jones feared the height of the ceilings in the space. Since opening, Jonesy's faked the height of its ceilings by wrapping paint from the ceiling on to the walls for another foot or so. That little eye trick effectively lowered the height of the space. The fresh coat of paint, vibrant and straightforward, goes all the way to the ceiling, owning the volume of the space.

The coolest addition to the space is by far the banquettes and boots that came from the iconic Italian restaurant Pagliacci's, which closed earlier this year. After the North Denver Italian staple closed, Jonesy's picked up the old classic swanky banquettes and booths and brought them into its home after the remodel.

In the main bar, the E A T B A R sign went through several iterations. When added to the space, the letters were painted a dark purple that subtly blended into the wall behind it. But the staff at Jonesy's wanted to spice things up and approached Jones and Moore with an idea: each letter would get a different color that would connect with the rest of the space - the white E matches the white chandeliers, the purplish red A matches the old booths, and so on. Small elements of that sign are still being worked on.

What else changed? The billiard's tables and darts boards were removed, the kitchen floor was changed, and a draft beer system was added, among other things. "It is great when you specialize in Colorado beers to actually have a draft system," Jones said. What did not change at this favorite neighborhood spot is the well-done comforting food, the great selection of local spirits and brews, and, most of all, the superior and disarming customer service experience.

· Jonesy's Makes Some of America's Best Fries [EDen]
· Jonesy's Eat Bar, Where Everyone Knows Your Name [EDen]