Denver's oldest Italian restaurant has closed

Denver's oldest Italian Restaurant, Patsy's Inn, closed on Monday after 95 years in business.

The Italian Restaurant opened in 1921 and has been a North Denver staple ever since.

"The restaurant has been sold and it's going to be turned into another restaurant," General Manager Holly Dorr said.

A note on the restaurant's website and Facebook page, posted Monday, announced the closure.

Dear guests and neighbors of Patsy’s Inn, Denver’s Oldest Italian Restaurant.

We regret to inform you that, following nearly a century of serving homemade Italian food to the city of Denver, Patsy’s Inn will be closing following the lunch hour on August 22, 2016. We’ve truly treasured the past 95 years of serving our homemade Italian food to the neighbors of North Denver and we’ve been so honored to be considered part of this deeply rooted community. Please know this has been a very difficult decision, but we are very proud of the legacy we leave behind. To all of those customers who had their first dates in our cozy booths, to all those couples who have celebrated their wedding anniversaries over a bowl of homemade noodles and sauce and to the generations of families who have made Patsy’s Inn a part of their own treasured traditions – thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for allowing us to be a part of your lives.

Love to all,

Hundreds have commented, sharing their memories, wishing the family the best and expressing their sorrow to see the restaurant go. It was a place where customers had their first dates, wedding anniversaries - even engagements.

"It's terrible. It's kind of like losing a friend or something like that," said Dorr. "It's got an interesting dynamic for a restaurant because it's got more of a family atmosphere as far as the guests that come in and the staff that work here - we're all very close-knit."

Patsy's was known for it's authentic, homemade family recipes and the hand-painted murals gracing both the interior and exterior of the building.