"El Five now seems to be a destination for out-of-towners. I think it's a lot of date nights and special occasions. That wasn't what we planned to be or do." Justin Cucci, founder of Edible Beats, said that to DiningOut in October. In the same breath he explained the group's newest restaurant: "I think what's different about Pip is that we really want to keep our neighborhood roots alive."
The group behind Linger, Root Down and El Five is the biggest restaurant operator on these blocks, and it is now adjusting to its own success. Its two 2026 moves in Highland point the same way. One is a bakery it bought so it wouldn't close. The other is a cheaper, walk-in tapas room built under its most popular special-occasion restaurant. Both are aimed at people who live within a few blocks.
The group that already anchors the hill
Edible Beats opened Root Down in 2008, and Cucci calls Root Down and Linger "the anchors of the company," according to an October interview with The Denver Post. Since then the company has sold Ophelia's Electric Soapbox in LoDo in 2024 and converted to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan. It is now employee-owned, with about 300 people on staff. Before the pandemic it had more than 500.
Most of what remains sits in or near Highland. Here is the local roster as of this fall:
| Spot | Where | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|
| Linger | LoHi | Busiest of the group by customer volume |
| El Five | Fifth floor, 2930 Umatilla St. | Second by volume; skyline views, Mediterranean small plates |
| Root Down | LoHi | Third by volume; the group's first restaurant, opened 2008 |
| Vital Root | Tennyson Street | Fourth by volume |
| Wooden Spoon Cafe & Bakery | 2418 W. 32nd Ave. | Taken over in early August 2026 |
| Pip Food + Drink | Ground floor, 2930 Umatilla St. | The group's newest concept |
Executive chef Corey Ferguson gave that volume ranking to BusinessDen, and The Denver Post republished it in September. The ranking matters for what comes next. El Five, second by volume and the one Cucci describes as drawing out-of-towners, is the building where the group chose to put its neighborhood-focused room.
Why the new room went downstairs from El Five
Sushi Ronin closed in 2025 after about a decade at 2930 Umatilla St. That left 2,000 square feet open on the ground floor, below El Five. Cucci told The Denver Post that the location made the decision:
"Honestly, I don't think we would have opened a restaurant anywhere else right now. It's just too risky and too expensive. But downstairs from El Five, which does still have overflow and has a pretty solid fan base, I thought we could open that and feel like we were getting a head start. We're not starting at zero."
So the only new restaurant the group was willing to build this year is in LoHi. That is also the group's own read on where business is steady right now. Ferguson described what Pip was supposed to fix. He said the group's other restaurants follow a set rhythm of "an app, entree, desert and wine," and that Pip should let people "express themselves," whether that means "one bite, one cocktail and you're onto your evening" or a full meal.
What Pip was designed to be
The plans described in September and October describe a cheaper, quicker version of El Five:
- Lower prices. Most of the menu was planned as tapas at $5 to $9 a plate, with cocktails at $8 to $15.
- Walk-in first. DiningOut reported reservations only for parties of six or more, so people could drop in on short notice.
- A three-and-three format. Cucci described a "trip" of three pintxos paired with three micro-cocktails, for after work or a last-minute evening out.
- Named dishes. Planned items included crab mousse on a shrimp chip, several kebabs, and Iberian ham and cheese rolled in grilled ciabatta. Drinks included kalimotxo, a red wine and cola mix, and the coffee-based barraquito.
- A bar-crowd room. Ferguson said the space would lean toward a bar crowd more than the group's other restaurants. It seats 100 across high-tops, booths and a seasonal patio, with a design meant to feel like a Moroccan spice market: bright blues, repurposed metal and old movie posters.
The name refers to the dots on dice and dominoes.
The schedule changed between the announcement and now. In September, Ferguson described Wednesday-through-Sunday service starting at 3 p.m. midweek and 11 a.m. on weekends. Edible Beats' Pip page now lists seven nights of dinner instead. Hours are 5 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with happy hour daily from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Early-evening walk-ins look like the main way to use the room as a regular. That daily 4 p.m. happy hour is the closest match to the "one bite, one cocktail" visit Ferguson described. The same page notes that checks carry a 6% Denver Employee Benefits surcharge, which Edible Beats says goes entirely toward staff benefits. Check the page before you walk over, since the posted hours have already changed once.
Wooden Spoon shows how the group treats a neighborhood favorite
The bakery is the clearest example of the group's approach. Edible Beats took over Wooden Spoon Cafe & Bakery at 2418 W. 32nd Ave. in early August. Cucci told The Denver Post that it "was out of the blue." He called himself "a day one person there" and said he "would hate to see that close."
When regulars noticed signs asking for feedback, Cucci explained why. The former owner-operators kept most of the recipes in their heads, along with years of judgment about when a dough is properly proofed. A larger company has to turn that into written systems. "We have not changed a single price. We have not changed a single recipe," he said. "If we don't get it right, just let us know, because that's how we learn." Ferguson said in September that the bakery was selling out of pastries every day after a slow first couple of weeks.
The one addition Cucci mentioned is a seasonal maple bacon croissant from the new chef, which he called "very dangerous." The blueberry scone he has been eating there for 14 years is still on the counter. Wooden Spoon's site lists hours of Wednesday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., closed Monday and Tuesday.
Cucci's own description of the group's goal fits both moves. "I want to earn our place, and earn respect from the neighborhood," he said. "I know we're big restaurants with a lot of employees, and sometimes it could look corporate or like we're the 'man.'"
The founder's order at the places you already know
If Pip and the bakery are the group's pitch to neighbors, the older restaurants are where most people in the neighborhood already know the group. When The Denver Post asked Cucci what to order right now, he named one dish at each:
- Root Down: the Devils on Horseback, a Peppadew pepper wrapped in bacon with cheese fondue and an almond inside
- El Five: the bison meatball dish, which he admitted is "a little out of season"
- Linger: the masala dosa, which he called uncommon even on Indian restaurant menus
Thanksgiving runs through Root Down this year
The group's holiday plan also stays close to Highland. Edible Beats' Thanksgiving at Home orders are picked up at Root Down, including Vital Root's vegan and gluten-free dinner. Vital Root's dinner can't be picked up at Vital Root this year. The options include a traditional dinner portioned for one person with leftovers, a dairy-, nut- and gluten-free dinner, sides in 8-ounce portions, and 10-inch pies. There's also an "Everything But the Turkey" package for $95 that serves four. It includes every side by the quart, 8 ounces of cranberry relish and six sweet potato rolls. Orders go through Tock.
The dates between now and mid-December
- Sunday, Nov. 22: last day to pre-order Thanksgiving at Home from Edible Beats, subject to availability.
- Tuesday, Nov. 24, and Wednesday, Nov. 25: Thanksgiving pickup at Root Down, on the day you chose when ordering.
- Saturday, Dec. 5: Holiday in the Highlands holiday market at Highland Square, 3737 W. 32nd Ave., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with Santa and carriage rides from noon to 3 p.m. It's farther west on 32nd from Wooden Spoon.
- Saturday, Dec. 12: the free Denver BAZAAR LoHi holiday market at 2138 W. 32nd Ave., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Before Dec. 12 there's also time to try Pip's 4 p.m. happy hour on a weeknight, the format the room was built for. Pip is at 2930 Umatilla St., ground floor, and takes calls and texts at 303.524.9193.
Pip and Wooden Spoon are two of the newer reasons to stay close to home on a Highland evening. If you've wondered what your own place on these blocks is worth this fall, Dianne Goldsmith can walk you through it over a scone at Wooden Spoon. Get your free home valuation.
