White Fence Farm In Lakewood To Close After 45 Years

LAKEWOOD, CO – The giant fiberglass chicken will be a landmark in Lakewood no more when decades-old family restaurant White Fence Farm closes its doors at the end of the year.

As first reported in Westword, owners announced that the restaurant in Lakewood would be closing. In 2014, Denver restaurateurs Tom Piercy and Craig Caldwell bought the farm, so to speak, from Charlie Wilson and his family, who originally licensed the concept in 1973 from the Hastert family in Romeoville, Illinois.

The family-style seating, petting zoo, gift shop and countrified atmosphere was unkindly called a "carnival of schlock" by some, but held its place in the nostalgic hearts of many who remember the restaurant at 6263 West Jewell Ave. as a place for special family dinners growing up. Customers will miss the "bottomless sides" of beets, bean salad, coleslaw, cottage cheese and corn fritters and the special fried-chicken batter.

Owners cited the shortage of restaurant labor (the organization employs about 100 staffers). The owners tried to expand the concept with satellites at Elitch Gardens and Capitol Hill, but ended up closing them.

"We require 100-plus employees on weekends, and it was becoming nearly impossible to staff the restaurant with qualified staff," Caldwell said in Westword. "We wish we could have kept this tradition open longer, but it was apparent that the changing demographics of our market were having an impact on revenue year over year."

READ MORE in Westword

Image via Google Street View

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