The announcement came suddenly that the popular downtown food hall The Well would close permanently just five days later. Its ownership group announced on June 11 that The Well would close June 15.
The Well was founded in 2022 by the 315 Collective, a group of local philanthropic foundations: Bloom Foundation, the Lane Foundation, Pikes Peak Community Foundation, Edmondson Foundation and the Pikes Peak Real Estate Foundation. Its original model was to provide space for startups and new food vendors to prove their concept and gain experience.
As recent as January 2024, the group announced a new partnership with the Blue Star Group to “form a long-term culinary backbone” and “align a shared vision of community building, unparalleled hospitality and reshaping the local food and beverage landscape,” according to a press release at the time.
The Blue Star Group owned and operated two concepts at The Well: La’au’s Taco Shop and the Weber Street Kitchen, which was developed specifically for The Well and opened in April.
La’au’s posted the following statement on its Facebook page on June 11.
“Blue Star Group was notified yesterday that The Well would be permanently closing effective this Saturday, June 15. We are extremely disappointed in the decision after the investment we made to have La’au’s Taco Shop and Weber St. Kitchen open for only three short months. We looked at The Well as a long term investment and partnership, and are sad to see what was on its way to being a well-loved and attended Colorado Springs community gathering place closing its doors so abruptly.
“We are looking for opportunities to keep La’au’s and Weber St. Kitchen alive in a new location, and in the meantime, La’au’s is available for catering orders at laaustacoshop.com/catering“
Other concepts Gift Horse Bar & Cafe and its Giddy Up & Go stated on their Facebook page that they are searching for a new location.
The Taiwanese street food restaurant Formosa Bites had already announced in May that it would be closing in June.
The Well’s website now states that it is permanently closed with a message of gratitude to its customers, vendors and partners.
