Denver finally has a Y2K themed bar after months of delays

The Nintendo 64 is plugged in. The VHS tapes are stacked. Mr. Brightside is the closing anthem. And after months of city permitting delays that nearly killed the concept before it could pour its first drink, Good Luck Club — Denver’s new Y2K-themed cocktail bar — is officially open on South Broadway.

The bar at 1350 S. Broadway in the Platt Park neighborhood soft-opened April 2 and held a grand opening party April 30 that drew a packed house for vinyl sets, Nintendo 64 tournaments, Aguasol Tequila pop-ups and dice rolls for drink specials.

It was supposed to happen in January.

“We dealt with a lot of complications getting all of our zoning and permitting aligned with the city. It was hurdle after hurdle,” general manager Ben Hamilton told Westword.

Good Luck Club was first announced in December 2025 with a target opening of late January or early February. But the bar failed its required retail food license inspections in October, and while it passed fire and health department reviews in November, zoning and building sign-offs dragged on for months. A separate retail tobacco license application stalled after the city requested additional information about proximity restrictions to schools that went unanswered.

The bar itself leans hard into the turn-of-the-millennium aesthetic without tipping into costume-shop kitsch. Immediately inside the door sits a thrifted TV console — purchased for $2, Hamilton says — with a working Nintendo 64 loaded with Mario Kart, Donkey Kong, Super Smash Bros. and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. VHS tapes and DVDs line the shelves. A photo booth, board games and a dart board alley fill out the rest of the space.

The cocktail menu is what Hamilton calls “millennial-coded” — a Crimson Chin spritz (a nod to the “Fairly OddParents” cartoon), a Teddygram old-fashioned, and during the February pop-ups, a Burner Phone (cinnamon mezcal Paloma) and a Golden Eye (a Vesper with pear and yuzu). Rotating taps highlight nearby producers like Monolith Brewing, while the spirits list nods to neighbors including Laws Whiskey House, located across the street.

The bar’s unofficial mascot is Mr. B — an ode to “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers, which Hamilton says will be the nightly closing song.

Starting May 12, Good Luck Club will host Y2K trivia on Tuesdays with the Denver Trivia League, Wednesday events with Laws Whiskey House and jazz nights.

An all-night happy hour runs Sunday through Wednesday.

Looking ahead, the bar is partnering with the in-person dating platform Thursday for a “Throwback Thursday” singles event on May 28 — billed as “bringing back the old-school meet-cute” — at $17 a ticket. Hamilton said 50 tickets had already sold as of last week. On June 5, Good Luck Club is teaming with Club Volo across the street for a Kick the Keg event, offering $5 shots, $5 drafts and $5 wells to anyone wearing a Volo shirt.

Good Luck Club is open 5 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Wednesday, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, noon to 2 a.m. Saturday, and noon to midnight Sunday.