West Colfax didn’t know it until March 2023, but the need for a coffee and cocktail bar was realized and brought to life at the corner of Colfax and Vrain St. – brightly lit with pink neon. From the owners of Duality Fit and Original Glam – the gym and medspa next door – and Pony Up – your favorite Blake Street bar – comes Side Pony – who is very happily celebrating its first year in business despite all the difficulties a new establishment tends to face – with some unexpected ones thrown in.
Owner Angela Neri looked back lovingly on the last 365 days comparing them to The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ song “Rollercoaster,” saying “All of the emotions one goes through when opening a business and putting so much love into building a team – it’s been a rollercoaster, to say the least!”
Meanwhile, owner Jen Sevcik equates the year to “Don’t Stop Me Now” from Queen noting that Side Pony “the first business of its kind on West Colfax, had a ton of challenges to face – but demonstrated the steadfast discipline to overcome those obstacles. So ‘don’t stop us now!'”
During its first year of business, as expected, there was the task of menu development and sourcing, staffing and training, and “the wild things you would have never thought of – like the power going out in the building for a whole week [in August]!” said Angela. “As a new business, these challenges were detrimental to the momentum we worked so hard to create. We never stopped trying, we never stopped fighting and we expressed gratitude for each customer who chose to spend their hard-earned money with us,” Jen said.
After that, the owners and the team knew they had to buckle down to make up for lost time and money – to pick the momentum back up. Angela compares Side Pony to “Nemo maybe? Was he the one that said ‘Just keep swimming?’” This pushed the team to shift into event mode – trying to get as many humans through the door as possible.
By hosting Drag Bingo and Trivia and multiple Taylor Swift-themed nights to an almost endless holiday season of parties and celebrations, Jen recalls getting out of the “dark” in a big way – “it was Christmas time and we had no money in the bank but we desperately wanted to decorate Side Pony for the holiday. The ownership team went Goodwill thrift shopping and borrowed holiday decor from our personal stashes. We met at Side Pony after hours, put on Christmas hip-hop music and poured ourselves some Jenny Margs.”
From there, the local community began showing up more than ever before, proving that “we are definitely a neighborhood spot! Our neighbors, regulars, and gym goers have absolutely kept us going! We will continue to do promotions and thank yous as much as possible,” boasts Angela.
Side Pony has become a space known for delicious Queen City coffee drinks and a hub for getting work done during the day. At night, it shifts into an ultra-moody, Instagram-worthy cocktail bar at night, lovingly nicknamed “first date Friday” due to its reputation as a great place to meet someone new.
The Jenny from the Block Margarita and U Up? Espresso Martini rounds out a creative cocktail menu as regular fan favorites, while the Avocado Toast, Bonfire Burritos and board selections ease your hunger at any time of the day. Shifting into a whole staff creative output, you can expect good music, a local feel, carefully executed classics and inventive specialty cocktails – truly a lot more than just ‘something on the side.’
Come celebrate their first year in business the whole month of March, but expect the big party on Wednesday, March 6th from 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
“It is our absolute pleasure to be your go-to coffee and cocktail lounge and we will never take that for granted!” – With love, Angela Neri and Jen Sevcik.
Side Pony is located at 4635 W Colfax Ave. It is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.