Hi*Rise Bakery Leaves Larimer Street After Almost a Decade

The week comes to a close on a sour note as two beloved Denver eateries say goodbye to the community. Larimer Street’s welcoming Hi*Rise bakery, which had been a neighborhood sandwich staple for nearly a decade, stopped operations at 3 p.m. Friday. Across town, Makan Malaysian Cafe announced it will close on Saturday, December 22.

Both small business owners took to social media to address their followers. Makan chef and owner Karen Wee Lin Tan Beckman opened her South Pearl Street cafe in 2012 and six years later still serves a cuisine that’s hard to find anywhere else in Denver. She invited customers to come in and enjoy one last plate of Char Kueh Tiao, “or whatever else you loved on our menu.”

Hi*Rise owner and baker Doug Anderson started baking breads and bagels nearly a decade ago before Larimer Street led to RiNo. He told Westword he decided not to renew his lease for business and personal reasons, citing tight margins, competition for good workers, and the desire to spend more time with family.