Opened in 1973 by University of Denver graduate Charlie Wilson, White Fence Farm has been a destination for many Denver dwellers looking to escape from the city for a home-cooked meal. And now, after more than 45 years in business, it’s closing its doors.

The restaurant built a reputation for family-friendly comfort food. Serving everything from hush puppies to scratch-made mashed potatoes and of course, the iconic fried chicken — White Fence Farm (which is literally located on a farm) has been a Colorado destination since many long-time Colorado residents can remember. Unfortunately, it’s just one of many beloved local spots to call it quits. From the Paramount Cafe to Marlowe’s and now, White Fence Farm, we’ve seen many iconic institutions close the doors.

“We have been operating at a net monthly loss for a considerable amount of time. Efforts to create a profitable operation were not successful and we can no longer operate in this capacity,” explained Craig Caldwell, co-owner of White Fence Farm.

With all of the new restaurants pouring into the Mile High City, and into Colorado as a whole, it’s no wonder that long-time locations like White Fence Farm are experiencing difficulties. Caldwell went on to explains that the hospitality industry on the Front Range is experiencing a labor shortage that has “caused the cost of labor to increase significantly over the past three years.”

“We require 100 or more employees on weekends and it was becoming nearly impossible to staff the restaurant with qualified staff,” explained Caldwell. “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.”

Fortunately, the iconic White Fence Farm animals have all been adopted and will be relocated December 30, when the space officially closes. To browse the menu, hours of operation and get the location, go here.  

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All photos courtesy of White Fence Farm via Facebook.