Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs, a quirky hotdog restaurant in Ballpark, was kicked out of Ball Arena in October for not paying sponsorship fees and is now being sued for $868,000.
Founded in 2005 by “Biker Jim” Pittenger, the eatery at 2148 Larimer St. is known for its eclectic menu, which includes ostrich, rattlesnake and rabbit meat. Biker Jim’s also has several food cart locations and is sold within Coors Field and at Mile High.
So, Ball Arena would seem to have been a natural fit. In January 2023, the restaurant signed a three-year sponsorship agreement with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which owns Ball Arena, according to a lawsuit that KSE filed in Denver District Court on June 4.
“Get your Biker Jim’s Pit Beef Sandwich or the Biker Jim Chipotle Vegan Dog at your next trip to Ball Arena for any event,” the restaurant wrote on Facebook that day.
In exchange for a concession stand at Section 112, a kiosk, the right to have its food sold on the arena’s 200 level, and several nights of free suites, the hotdog restaurant was to pay $868,000 over three years, according to KSE. But it allegedly never made a single payment.
So, last Halloween, Biker Jim’s lost its locations at Ball Arena, KSE said.
“Despite repeated demand, and despite taking advantage of the benefits provided by the sponsorship agreement, Biker Jim’s refuses to pay,” last week’s lawsuit states.
Pittenger, who no longer runs the company, said Thursday, “I was under the impression the sponsorship had been paid because that’s what I had been told by the CEO.”
That CEO, Andrew Soulakis, did not return BusinessDen’s phone calls and messages.
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment is suing Biker Jim’s for breach of contract and asking Judge Kandace Gerdes to award it the $868,000 that Biker Jim’s had agreed to pay through 2025. KSE also wants the hotdog restaurant to pay interest and cover its attorney fees.
KSE is represented by attorney Kevin Walton in the Denver office of Snell & Wilmer.
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