Renegade Brewing, which opened in the Art District on Santa Fe just eighteen months ago, said today that it will open a pub serving pizza salads and lots and lots of craft beer near the University of Denver. The Renegade Publik House, in the former Spicy Pickle spot at 2043 South University Boulevard, will have twenty craft beers on tap, including five to eight handles of Renegade brwes, along with cans and bottles.

See also: - Renegade Brewing will can two more of its beers - Photos: Renegade Brewing's one-year anniversary - The DU 'hood Spicy Pickle closes up shop

"We were among the first of the new crop of breweries to open and we've had a lot of success in our first year and a half," says Renegade co-owner Brian O'Connell. "If you look at where the growth has been among breweries, it's been in the Highland and River North areas, so we started to look for where the gaps were and quickly identified the DU area as one that doesn't have a lot to offer as far as being craft beer focused."

Although O'Connell doesn't have experience running a restaurant, he is bringing in an experienced general manager and chef to help.

"In the beginning, I was one of those who said he didn't want to do food. But after running a tap room for past year and a half, I realized how important food is," he explains. "There is a food truck outside our place seven days a week and people depend on us for food. At Publik House, we are keeping it simple. Pizzas and salads."

The 2,000-square-foot pub, which is scheduled to open in March after renovations to the space, will have about fifty seats. The Publik House will not be a brewery itself. The pizzas will be cooked on a grill top.

The décor, put together by Esinem Designs, which did Renegade Brewing, will be an homage to the DU neighborhood, O'Connell says. "The new bar will bring elements of the existing bar, but will include new design elements to pay tribute to the role of academia in the neighborhood, he says.

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