A FAREWELL MESSAGE FROM THE OWNER

Lincoln famously observed that the truest words in history are, “This too, shall pass”. It breaks my heart to confirm that the Sand Creek Lounge has poured its final cocktail.

This news comes as a shock to many of our customers and employees, but our closure is the result of a long struggle that began with the COVID shutdown.  For the past five years – and the thirty years before that – my staff has worked valiantly, and our customers showed tremendous loyalty.

I cannot fault any of them for this, and if blame is to be assigned for our closure, it falls entirely on me.  I had obtained the liquor license in 1989 – I was and remain the youngest person to be approved for a liquor license in Aurora – and I cannot look anywhere else but inward at the end of our run.

I do not consider myself a martyr, as there are tales of business closures that dwarf our story in tragedy. Instead, I was privileged to watch my managers and staff perform heroically every day to build the greatest saloon in the world. I treasured my loyal customers and the unique diversity and character they brought into our premises.  Much of the effort I witnessed in the past few months was heroic, but the mounting and accumulating costs of staying open in the post-COVID world proved too much. The tragedy is mine, as I will not have the joy of interacting with them on an ongoing basis forward.

Beyond the efforts of my staff and customers, what I am most proud of is the fact that in 36 years of business, we NEVER had a single liquor code violation. That is a testament to the standards that my father, Paul Engel and his Partner, Eddie Krantz, put in place and the dedication of my staff and managers showed to live up to them. This should also demonstrate the range of factors against us at the end of our run.

While we mourn the loss of this great saloon, the Creek will live brightly in memories and stories. Much like that bright, shining spot known as Camelot, the Creek will live on in folk takes an fables passed down to the next generation. Customers, staff, vendors and even the police will share stories of the Creek. I am proud to say that we witnessed every phase of life at the Creek, including weddings, funerals, and probably a few babies conceived in our parking lot. (I won’t offend our staff by suggesting that our tale should be turned into a musical, but…)

Finally, thank you for your amazing loyalty and patronage. Hopefully you will seek out Leslie Strong and some of the staff that she led, and you will experience a bit of the Creek magic sometime, somewhere in the near future.

Richard Engel, President