Jack Rabbit Slims is Now Clove Pizzeria

When Jack Rabbit Slims at 2222 Bruce Randolph Avenue became Clove Pizzeria & Tap this year, the change was so subtle that most customers probably didn’t notice, unless they were a Minnesota Vikings fan.

Shawn Hanrahan and his brother Colin took over operations of the pizzeria and bar in March. The Hanrahans are originally from Iowa, a state without a major football team; Iowans often become fans of nearby teams or those loved by family members — Shawn and Colin’s grandfather was a Green Bay Packers fan, and so, as Shawn explains, “We were raised right.” Both own shares of the Packers.

Jack Rabbit Slims used to be the spot for fans of Packers-rival the Minnesota Vikings. But whether it’s the food, ambiance or location, Shawn says the rivalry between the two teams hasn’t kept the Vikings regulars from the newly christened Packers bar.

Jack Rabbits’s owner Sue Freeman sold the business because she wanted to retire, and the transition was smooth — the Hanrahans did not close for a single day. Most of the staff stayed on, too. The main change, beyond the Packers memorabilia found on nearly every surface of the bar, is the menu. The Hanrahans have been spicing it up with some family not-so-secret secrets.

Shawn and Colin’s family have run an Italian restaurant in Iowa since 1939. Their great grandfather, who immigrated to the US from Italy around 1920, made his way to Iowa where he worked making candy for a small candy shop. After some time learning the trade he started his own business, Rastrelli’s, originally a soda shoppe and candy store. The shop transitioned to a from-scratch Italian restaurant that has grown over the years.

Shawn only spent nine months working in the family restaurant and Colin has not worked there, but they have the Rastrelli’s book of family recipes, filled with dishes that have been passed down in the family or written  buy Shawn during his time in the kitchen. They are both self-professed foodies, and Colin has extensive kitchen experience, having worked in five pizzerias, including Fat Sully’s and Pizza Bar 66 in Lyons.

Shawn, who has lived in Denver for about ten years, was attracted to the former Jack Rabbit’s because of the neighborhood. The business was already doing well and he sees the area as a place with lots of promise, but that’s not already over-saturated with similar businesses. “It gives us more of a reason to stand out,” Shawn says.

So far, most of the business has been in person, and regulars are what holds the business up — even those Viking fans. “I would rather entice people to come in,” says Shawn, speaking of boosting in-person business rather than focusing on delivery.

The Hanrahans plan to keep most features of the former bar the same, with a few personal twists. All of the televisions have stayed, so there are plenty of screens for catching games, but a poll table has been added. Much of the menu has stayed, though some recipes have been updated to reflect the family recipes from Iowa. Jack Rabbit’s had a Mug Club for regulars — with labelled large 20-ounce mugs literally on a shelf behind the bar. Shawn is developing something similar, though it will be more of a digital loyalty club than a physical mug club. Shawn also plans to transform a section of the wall into a showcase for a rotating local artist.

While operating a restaurant fits with a family tradition for the Hanrahans, Shawn’s motivation was also inspired by his fifteen years working in the cannabis industry. He sees public places for social consumption of cannabis on the horizon, and wants to cut his teeth in a bar and restaurant so he could, possibly, launch a cannabis bar and Italian restaurant in the future. He sees a place identical to a sports bar, where people gather on Sundays to watch football, not with a beer, but with cannabis mocktails and infused pizza.

But for now, Shawn and his brother are cutting their teeth at this classic bar and pizzeria, working on introducing Denver to their family recipes, and hoping to attract football fans, Packers or otherwise.