New Asian food hall coming to Downtown Westminster in 2026
A new, one-of-a-kind food hall coming to Downtown Westminster may be the spark the neighborhood needs to bring the 14-year idea to the spotlight.
“This is pivotal. We’ve always seen this as the lever to draw larger amount of people who don’t just live in Downtown Westminster,” Dan Collison, senior director of business development and public affairs at Sherman Associates, told The Denver Gazette.
Sherman Associates teamed up with Henry Lee, owner of all Bonchon restaurants in Colorado and Salady, to bring about a “next-generation eatery” called Red Lotus Den on the ground floor of the Aspire Apartments at 5815 West 89th Avenue in the summer of 2026, according to a press release from the developer.
The 15,000-square-foot eatery will contain two levels, music and entertainment and seven restaurants offering a curated collection of chef-inspired dishes spanning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Italian and more.
But the concept isn’t just a normal food hall — something both Lee and Collison claimed was an outdated idea.
“Henry just has a vision that is different. He’s trying to create separation from all of the other food halls in the area. It’s a very high-end finish. It’s more like a restaurant-meets-experience,” Collison said.
On the other hand, Lee — the mastermind behind the idea — doesn’t really know what to call it.
“Food halls are kind of a lunch thing. I don’t really go to food halls even for dinner. How do I capture that kind of audience?” Lee asked.
One of the main pillars of separation from the competition, according to Lee, is that there will be full servers, food runners and other restaurant staff at the hall.
Customers can sit down, order from the menu of all seven restaurants and have a real dining experience instead of the amalgamation of a normal food hall.
“When I go to a food hall, I don’t want to get up and get my food,” Lee laughed.
The upstairs will also feature karaoke and party rooms, a conference room, an office and an additional bar. The eatery will accommodate 675 guests, with additional outdoor patio seating for approximately 50 guests along Central Square Plaza.
All seven restaurants will originate from Red Lotus Den — not branches of already existing businesses. Lee will own them all.
“When you lease each space, it gets complicated with cost,” Lee said. “I’m not a sushi chef, but I can hire the best one.”
The mix of flavors, from dim sum to traditional pasta, is a collection of things Lee likes and thinks the area is lacking.
“It’s just cuisines that I want to eat,” he said. “What can I picture myself eating every day?”
Bringing traffic to downtown
Downtown Westminster — located off U.S. 36 and bounded by 92nd Avenue to the north, 88th Avenue to the south, Harlan Street to the west, and Sheridan Boulevard to the east — has been a slow and ambitious project from the city since the Westminster Mall closed down in the same area in 2011.
The area where the mall used to sit was purchased in three different chunks between 2009 and 2012 by the Westminster Economic Development Authority after the mall saw a significant decline in tax revenue.
The city did not bring in a master developer to create the downtown space, instead opting to do it themselves with the idea of getting the “redevelopment right,” said Heather Cronenberg, the real estate development manager for the City of Westminster.
Some residents and business owners have claimed that the area is moving too slowly, but the city says its idea is for the long haul, and doing it correctly is crucial.
Interestingly, Lee’s Downtown Westminster Bonchon location, which opened around three years ago, is top-five in the nation and has seen a significant amount of success, according to Lee. So has his Salady location in the neighborhood.
Sherman Associates, a residential and commercial developer based in Minnesota, was the first developer to build on the former Westminster Mall land — creating the Ascent apartments and retail space in 2019.
Coming into the development of downtown, Sherman Associates always planned on a food hall being a centerpiece of the area.
With Lee’s sustained success in the area and the large-scale project, Red Lotus Den may bring in that foot traffic the city has waited for.
“Red Lotus Den will add a vibrant community gathering space where our residents and visitors can enjoy exciting new culinary and entertainment options,” Mayor Nancy McNally said in a press release. “Our community supports local businesses and understands their value to our economic vitality.”
“It’s a feature, a corner. It is the premier space. We’ve been marketing it since the building opened many years ago,” Collison said, noting that COVID postponed the idea.
Lee isn’t too worried about it. He just wants to create a place he’s proud of and good food for the area.
“Right now, I’m just focused on providing the best experience. In terms of Downtown Westminster, I don’t know how it’s going to turn out. I’m just doing my part.” he said. “I’m trying to create something where people from everywhere will flock to it. Create something where people are willing to drive.”
Red Lotus Den is expected to open around June 2026.
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