LoDo nightclub Orchid closes after shooting, licensing issues

A Nightclub in LoDo Closes Its Doors

On New Year’s Eve, a popular nightclub and event space in LoDo served its last drinks before closing down.

The 9,700 square feet that Orchid once occupied at 1448 Market St. are now available for lease.

The owner of the building and operator of Orchid, Yimaj “Steve” Kalifa, declined to comment on the closure.

Orchid, which started as a 1920s-themed jazz spot in 2023 before transforming into a club, had a challenging year leading up to its closure.

Last year, Orchid was ordered to close for 21 days following a shooting inside the club on New Year’s Day 2025. The closure also included a year-long suspension of Orchid’s licenses if any laws were violated in the next 12 months.

In November, Orchid was cited for having unlicensed security guards and allowing smoking of hookah without proper approval. The violations were observed by the Denver Police Department during a bar check in September.

A hearing is set for Feb. 14 for Orchid to defend its license.

Sources indicate that Orchid plans to surrender its dance cabaret license but keep its liquor license for a potential transfer to a new operator.

Kalifa, the owner, is not interested in continuing operations and is looking to transfer ownership to someone else. He also owns The Dahlia, an event and music venue on S. Broadway.

Kalifa faced loan troubles with Orchid, but was able to refinance and repay the outstanding amount to BOK Financial, the lender.

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