Oak, Corrida owner plans burgers, cocktails concept on Pearl

BOULDER — The restaurateur behind upscale Boulder eateries Oak at Fourteenth and Corrida appears to be gearing up to open a new burger and cocktails concept on Pearl Street.

Bryan Dayton and 921 Bar LLC, a holding company registered with the state by Dayton using the Walnut Street address of Corrida, have applied for a Boulder use review to bring new life to 921 Pearl, formerly home to an Oskar Blues Brewery taproom and World of Beer.

The 3,420-square-foot space would be “split in half for a cocktail/tavern and restaurant concepts,” according to a Boulder planning memo. “They will be operated by the same company and will share the back of house kitchen area. The existing patios will also be split to provide individual seating for each concept.”

According to a form provided by the applicant to city planners, “The eastern concept will be a fast casual burger concept and with a small bar. The western concept will be a cocktail bar with small bites.”

Dayton did not respond to requests for comment Monday. 

A use review by Boulder planning staff and city officials is “required for restaurants and taverns over 1,500 square feet in size, closing later than 11 p.m., and with an outdoor seating area of 300 square feet or more within 500 feet of a residential zoning district,” planning documents show. 

In addition to the two existing Boulder concepts, Dayton’s Half Eaten Cookie Hospitality operates Brider and Bellota in Denver.

Oskar Blues vacated the 921 Pearl space in 2022 just weeks after Canarchy Brewing Collective LLC, the nationwide craft brewery collective of which Oskar Blues was a founding member, was acquired by Monster Beverage Corp. (NYSE: MNST) for $330 million.Before Oskar Blues moved into the space in 2017, the property was home to World of Beer, which was evicted in 2016 after falling more than $100,000 behind on rent payments.