The Blue Parrot Inn, 1718 Broadway, appeared on the Denver dining scene in the early 1920s (the 1923 Denver city directory is the first to note it). In the late 1920s, Margaret Findeisen (proprietor of Florida’s Orange Lantern Inn) and Henrietta Werder (proprietor of a restaurant in Hereford, Colorado, and the Grenada Room in Florida) bought the Blue Parrot Inn while on vacation in Denver after a particularly rough Florida hurricane season. They added Spanish-style room décor to the restaurant in 1928. That same year, Findeisen and Werder reported that business was booming—up 40% from the previous year.
The Great Depression changed the Blue Parrot. Charlot Ellers bought the restaurant sometime around 1930. Then, the restaurant, which once catered to lunching ladies and afternoon teas, began advertising a “Business Men’s Steak Luncheon,” presumably to drum up more customers. Ellers made music a feature of the restaurant, investing in a state-of-the-art sound system and a collection of 6,000 records in the early 1950s. Ellers operated the Broadway location until it closed in 1953. The building was torn down in 1953 to make way for the 23-story Mile High Tower, designed by I. M. Pei and Henry Cobb.
Perhaps the real stars of the Blue Parrot Inn were, in fact, the parrots. First, there was Mack, an elderly macaw with a habit of cursing in front of customers. Mack died of pneumonia at the age of 83. Minnie, a 14-year old macaw from Trinidad, replaced Mack around 1936. Minnie loved music and would often demand that the song “Forever Blowing Bubbles” be played. At 8pm, a busboy would take Minnie out of her cage. While bringing her through the restaurant to her bedroom quarters, Minnie would say, “Goodnight, goodnight” to diners.
WHG’s large menu collection (WH1509) contains several menus from the Blue Parrot Inn along with many other gems.
I have a Blue Parrot Menu as
I have a Blue Parrot Menu as pictured here from Tuesday, August 4, 1942. My Father was stationed at Lowery Field during WWII and sent this home to us. Filet Mignon Wrapped in Bacon, complete dinner $1.50. What a deal!!!.
Thanks for sharing, David! I
Thanks for sharing, David! I bet a filet mignon wrapped in bacon was a fantastic treat for a WWII serviceman. So glad you held on to the menu as a keepsake!
I ate there with the family
I ate there with the family in the mid 30s. I loved seeing the parrot in its cage just off the sidewalk at the entrance. I’m originally from Alamosa.
I used to take Ms Ellers
I used to take Ms Ellers grocery shopping in my Taxi in the 80's. She was a very sweet Lady. Did she own the land that the Blue Parrot sat on?
As a kid, growing up in
As a kid, growing up in Denver, I, too, remember going to the Blue Parrot on Sundays (during the 1950s) and seeing the parrot in the cage just off the sidewalk. They had great cinnamon rolls and as a kid that is what I filled up on.
I should have put my name on
I should have put my name on that last post. Here it is again:
As a kid, growing up in Denver, I, too, remember going to the Blue Parrot on Sundays (during the 1950s) and seeing the parrot in the cage just off the sidewalk. They had great cinnamon rolls and as a kid that is what I filled up on.
Happy memories of this place.
Happy memories of this place. As a child, seeing that parrot in its big cage was a
treat!
My dad, Sigifredo Rivera
My dad, Sigifredo Rivera worked as a cook there in the early 1940s. Loved reading this article.
As a child, one of my fondest
As a child, one of my fondest memories.....getting a chocolate parrot for having a clean plate following my meal. Of course, my wonderful, loving father would make certain I would always have a clean plate!
I too remember the chocolate…
I too remember the chocolate parrots given to kids in the fifties when leaving the restaurant. Some time later perhaps in the sixties the restaurant moved to Cherry Creek.
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