Welcome to the Denver Gazette’s Metro Moves. You’ll get the latest metro Denver openings, closings, hiring and promotion news here. To submit your company’s news, drop an email to dennis.huspeni@gazette.com.

Longtime Denver area music store closing

Schmitt Music Co. officials announced the company’s Englewood store, 155 W. Hampden Ave., will close after more than 35 years. 

The store has been the exclusive Steinway & Sons piano dealer for the Denver area, but also sells other brands. It will sell its inventory of pianos during a closing sale from Feb. 8 to March 17. 

“We have greatly enjoyed being a part of this community and value the opportunities we had to support teacher recitals and in-store concerts,” store Manager Betsy Johnson said in a news release. “We thank you for your loyalty and for allowing us to be a part of your lives for all these years.” 

Company officials said “recent economic trends” have forced them to “decrease their physical footprint,” according to the release. The chain’s acoustic piano showrooms will remain open in Omaha, Nebraska, as well as its flagship store in Bloomington, Minnesota. 

The closing continues a trend of music stores in the metro Denver area shuttering. The Kolacny Music Co. store at 1900 S. Broadway closed last year after 93 years. Universal Music, a 63-year-old mom and pop music store in Thornton, also closed recently. 

For more information, visit schmittmusic.com.

New Castle Rock Mexican restaurant

Owners of Los Dos Potrillos Mexican restaurants recently opened the biggest of the five existing Colorado locations in Castle Rock. 

The 8,200-square-foot restaurant at 6370 Promenade Parkway includes an on-site brewery, only the second one to have one along with the chain’s Parker location. 

“A great partnership with the town of Castle Rock and with GH Phipps,” Owner Daniel Ramirez said in a news release. “Everyone here has poured their blood, sweat, and tears into building this amazing restaurant.” 

GH Phipps Special Projects Group officials described the building as having “a large dining area with beautiful views, adorned with giant chandeliers, a full commercial kitchen, a brewhouse, a custom bar area, and plenty of natural light,” according to the release.

Ely Architecture handled the architectural work for the 284-seat, $4.7 million restaurant built for the Ramirez Hospitality Group. 

For more information, or to book a reservation, visit los2potrillos.com or call (720) 769-5474.

New fellow at Common Sense Institute

Former Denver mayoral candidate and longtime head of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Kelly Brough joined the Common Sense Institute as a fellow “focused on urban development and infrastructure,” according to a news release.

The institute describes itself as a “non-partisan research organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of Colorado’s economy.” 

Brough finished second to Mayor Mike Johnston in Denver’s runoff mayoral election last year. She headed the chamber as its president and CEO for 12 years before that and was former Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper’s chief of staff. 

At the institute, Brough will focus on transportation and infrastructure. Her first study is to be released this spring. 

“I’m thrilled with this opportunity to take a deeper look at some of the biggest challenges facing Colorado,” Brough said in the release. “I hope that once we shine a light on the issue and discover the facts, we can spark innovative solutions to improve our state.”

Editor’s note: The original version of this story incorrectly stated Rockley Music Center closed. In 2019, the store moved from its long-time home on Colfax Avenue to its current location at 4880 Robb Street in Wheat Ridge.