Pub
Bull & Bush
4700 Cherry Creek S Dr,
Denver, CO 80246
A local pub is where meals are shared and glasses are raised to toast the end of the day or the end of the week, or end of an era. A pub, short for “public house” is where anyone is welcome, membership to a club or a reservation weeks in advance is not required. The local pub’s warmth and charm is why it becomes the default location to meet for sharing a pint or sharing a meal.
The Bull & Bush began in 1971 when twin brothers, Dale and Dean (who grew up near Glendale when it was mostly fields and dairy farms) left their careers as stock-brokers to open several successful bars and restaurants around Denver. They modeled the Bull & Bush after a British pub by the same name in Hamstead Heath outside London. When they opened the Bull & Bush there were a dozen other bars within walking distance. Glendale was the center of the Denver social scene in the 70’s and 80’s, long before the renewal of downtown Denver neighborhoods. Over the decades the other bars closed, but the Bull & Bush remains.
On July 1, 2006, the indoor smoking ban was passed in Denver. The Bull & Bush closed for two days to replace all the carpet and clear out three decades of smoke. The pub that emerged was where parents would bring their kids, and the impact shifted the economics of the Bull & Bush. Food sales would surpass drink sales, and a children’s menu was added. Amidst the changes, there remains a timelessness to the interior of the Bull & Bush. Patrons will walk in after decades and declare nothing has changed, except for the TV’s are larger and the carpet is cleaner. There is a sincere appreciation for the way this pub has remained constant in a city marked by constant change.
The Bull & Bush is now owned and operated by the second generation of Peterson brothers. Dale’s two sons David and Erik, continue the work of leading a local pub. They built the patio, began brewing their own beer, and navigated COVID by installing a year-round beer garden inside a massive tent. Part of the lore around a pub is how it provides a place where you feel like a family friend. David and Erik are a constant presence and know the names of the families and friends who have been supporting the business for decades. Together they are continuing to build the legacy of the Bull & Bush.
The Bull & Bush has become an intergenerational family establishment over its 52 years. Every day it welcomes neighbors of all ages. “We’re a place for people to enjoy a drink, ages 21 - 91.” said David Peterson. It is not uncommon for guests to share about their parents, or grandparents, meeting at the Bull & Bush when they were young. Guests regularly remember coming as children with their parents to the Bull & Bush for Sunday brunch. Now, they are the parents bringing their children.
Standing at the bar, David Peterson reflected on 52 years of all the people and stories who have walked through the door of the Bull & Bush. “It’s probably in the millions.” He smiles at the idea of how this place has been so important to so many people. The pub is a sacred place.
