Wazee Supper Club is one of 5280’s favorite haunts. We go there so often the bartenders know us by name. So, you can imagine we were a little hesitant with our enthusiasm when a server mentioned the bar would be shutting down for more than two weeks for renovations on April 23. But after speaking with general manager and part owner Shannon Baker, we’re a bit more excited.

In a Shawshank Redemption–style move, the folks at Wazee have been ever so slowly excavating the dirt-floor basement. “Over the past two years we’ve removed dirt, bucket full by bucket full, from the floors so that there’s enough room to actually walk down there now,” Baker says. “We’re going to be able to move our storage down there, which means we can do a lot of things up here.” This means moving and expanding the kitchen, extending the bar and adding more bar seating, and adding air conditioning. The renovations will also include a mini-facelift that will include a new layout for the dining room, new tables, and a fresh coat of paint. “We will keep the important things like the black-and-white tile flooring and the dumbwaiter,” Baker says. “When people come through the door they will still know they’re at Wazee.”

Baker expects Wazee to re-open in mid-May to coincide with the restaurant’s 38-year anniversary. “Look out for a grand re-opening party,” she says. We'll be there.

1600 15th St., 303-623-9518