Retooled Bar Fausto Debuts as Gold Point This Weekend

Over the course of this summer, Italian-style cocktail destination Bar Fausto has undergone a modest transformation after its purchase in May by a group of Denver bar industry veterans who also own the Squire Lounge, the Matchbox, and 715 Club together.

The goal of that process has been to reimagine the buttoned-up RiNo watering hole as a more approachable space that integrates the casualness and affordability of the new owners’ more dive-y bars with Bar Fausto’s expansive liquor and cocktail selection.

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It’s a transition that has taken place in full view of the bar’s regulars, as the owners (Bar Fausto co-founder Jonathan Power maintains a 10 percent stake in the bar) decided not to close the bar during the conversion. But now, with that process mostly—but not entirely—complete, they are ready to officially unveil their new take on the 5-year-old neighborhood favorite at a grand opening party on Sunday.

Gold Point — the name is a nod to both the nearby old Gold Star sausage factory and Five Points neighborhood — largely maintains the selection of cocktails and liquors that were available at Bar Fausto, though Bar Fausto’s extensive amaro selection has been culled back some.

What’s new on the liquor side is the addition of $6 combos that pair shots of Jameson or Jim Beam with a beer like Coors Banquet.

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“We thought it would be nice for people to have a place where they can get a $12 cocktail and then sit around for another couple of hours and drink a couple of cheaper beers and shots,” says co-owner Sudhir Kudva. “That way they can stay here for the night without having to go to a different bar.”

Bar Fausto’s TRVE Brewing Co. taps have also been replaced with draft brews from Ratio Beerworks, a decision co-owner Colin Hankins says was driven by a desire to source beer from a brewery located closer to the bar.

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Gold Point will also continue to offer charcuterie boards, cheese plates, and sandwiches as Bar Fausto did, though all of those selections will now be sourced from Goed Zuur, a sour beer taproom a few blocks away from Gold Point.

The space, meanwhile, has received a new paint job designed to remove some of Bar Fausto’s more obvious Italian aesthetic elements, while a portion of the seating area in the front of the bar space has been converted into a lounge with couches as well as table seating.

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The biggest addition will be a new patio that is planned for the space immediately north of the bar. However, Kudva says bargoers should not expect a “pure concrete patio” but rather an “urban garden” consisting of nesting boxes, bird baths, fresh herbs, and other elements.

Gold Point is also working with the National Wildlife Foundation to construct the space as a certified pollinator habitat. It is unclear when that space will be ready, but Kudva said he is hopeful it will be finished in the next couple of months.

The new bar will also be open seven days a week and keep serving until until 2 a.m., whereas Bar Fausto closed at midnight and did not open on Mondays or Tuesdays.

Ultimately, Kudva said he is hoping the bar becomes known as a relaxed lounge with a patio.

“We are not looking to be a high-volume, Matchbox-type of bar,” he said. “We want this place to be more chill.”

The opening party will begin at 5 p.m. on Sunday and last until 2 a.m.

• All previous Eater coverage of Bar Fausto [EDEN]