Why these local restaurants aren’t afraid to open on the 16th Street Mall

Mary Nguyen remembers the 16th Street Mall’s glory days, when she would ride the tram up and down the block as an 8-year-old child with her relatives. The streets were buzzing and full of people from all over, the granite tile pavers lining the pedestrian-only street were bright and clean, and there were new stores and restaurants that Nguyen had never seen before.

“The 16th Street Mall is the main stretch that represents our city. It’s iconic,” said Nguyen, who opened Little Finch in February at 1490 16th St. Mall. The café is the little sister to Olive & Finch, Nguyen’s popular restaurant on 17th Avenue in Denver’s Uptown neighborhood and another in Cherry Creek.

“From my perspective, being on the 16th Street Mall was an opportunity to be able to introduce people to the good things in Denver … as a tourist or a newbie,” Nguyen said. “You’re going to go check ...