Downtown Colorado Springs hit a pedestrian milestone this summer as the Tejon Street corridor continues to recover from a months-long revitalization project. The Downtown Partnership reported that the stretch saw more than 93,000 visitors in August alone — the most since 2021. Yet for the restaurants that endured construction directly on the block, the financial picture remains uneven.
It has been a little over one year since phase one of the revitalization project on Tejon Street was completed, and the results for nearby businesses are a mixed bag. According to the Downtown Partnership, foot traffic on the Colorado-to-Pikes Peak block was down 3% during construction, though it increased 6.4% in the broader Tejon corridor from March through December last year. The Downtown Partnership also reports that downtown restaurant sales are up 7% from January through the end of June.
Red Gravy, an Italian restaurant that has operated on the block since 2016, came through the construction period in relatively strong shape. Owner Eric Brenner said that for the entire period of construction from start to finish, the restaurant lost about 1% to 1.5% of revenue — which he described as nominal, considering the business also lost its patio. Despite the dip in sales during construction, Brenner said the numbers were still higher than in 2024, and that 2025 was the best revenue year since the restaurant opened in 2016. Brenner also noted that the physical improvements carry a personal dimension. "It's just so beautiful down here now," he said, adding that his wife, who uses a wheelchair, is now able to move through the street without difficulty.
The story at Jack Quinn's, the long-running Irish restaurant and bar, has been harder. General Manager Cooper Davidson said the construction took a significant financial toll, with the business down about 18.5% during the project — and still another 1.8% in the months following the reopening from September through March. Davidson estimated the combined losses at roughly $230,000. Despite those figures, Davidson said he supports what the revitalization has brought to the area, adding, "We're super happy. It does visually look much better now as we hopefully can regain and re-purpose the lost revenue."
Both operators pointed to headwinds that extend beyond the construction period. Brenner said some restaurants on the block are still struggling in the wake of a recent closure, and both he and Davidson identified a broader shift in alcohol consumption as a growing concern. "Drinking is way down across the board, especially for that 21 to 28 year old category," Davidson said. Brenner said Red Gravy adapted by expanding non-alcoholic options, noting that mocktails and non-alcoholic beverages stabilized the restaurant's entire beverage program after a dip in liquor sales.
Davidson said he had been hoping to see a bigger rebound and a bigger sign of new people coming downtown. Whether additional phases of the revitalization project will accelerate that recovery remains to be seen.