A nightclub and event space in LoDo served its last drinks in the wee hours of New Year’s Eve.
The 9,700 square feet that Orchid previously occupied at 1448 Market St. are now being marketed for lease.
Yimaj “Steve” Kalifa, who owns the building and also operated Orchid, declined to comment when reached by BusinessDen.
The shuttering follows a tumultuous year plus for Orchid, which originally opened as a 1920s-themed jazz spot in 2023 but transformed shortly after to a club.
Orchid was ordered to close for 21 days last year after a shooting inside the club on New Year’s Day 2025. The order from Denver’s Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection also stipulated that Orchid’s licenses would be suspended for a year if it violated any laws during the next 12 months.
In early November, the department cited Orchid again for having unlicensed security guards and allowing patrons to smoke hookah inside without the proper approval. The Denver Police Department observed those violations during a bar check in September.
A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 14 for Orchid to show why it should be able to keep its license.
Sources with knowledge of the situation told BusinessDen that Orchid is preparing to voluntarily surrender its dance cabaret license but keep its liquor license with the intent of transferring it to a new operator.
A liquor license allows for a concept like a sports bar or restaurant but not a club, the sources said. Kalifa, who lives in Washington, D.C., does not want to be involved in its operations, they added.
Kalifa also owns the building and business at 119 S. Broadway, an event and music venue called The Dahlia. The property’s previous owner, who financed Kalifa’s purchase, initiated foreclosure in May, but records indicate Kalifa reached a deal to maintain ownership.
Kalifa ran into loan trouble at Orchid as well. He bought the 9,700-square-foot building in August 2023 for $4.18 million, financing the deal with a $3 million loan from Oklahoma-based BOK Financial. Six months later, BOK sued, saying Kalifa failed to make payments. That lawsuit was dismissed in February last year. Court records state Kalifa was able to refinance, and BOK was repaid in full.
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