About Us

10 PACES, TURN, ESPRESSO!

Turn back the clock almost a hundred and fifty years. 

LoDo’s glossy skyscrapers and ultra-mod galleries recede into the earth, and in their place emerges a bustle of brick warehouses, door-swinging saloons, and yes: a string of bordellos stretching along Market Street from 19th to 21st. Atop a second-story balcony stands a woman, tall & proud in a petticoat & gloves: Mattie Silks, the Madame of it all. To her we take off our hats. For just a stone’s throw from where you sit & sip that macchiato, Madame Silks risked it all for her honor. 

On August 24th, 1877, Kate Fulton, a rival brothel-owner, sidled up just a bullet’s length too close to Silks’s eye-catching lover: gambling-man Corteze Thomson. Not one to tolerate disrespect, Silks demanded a duel, right there on the banks of Commons Park. The ladies of the night took 10 paces, turned, and BANG! A body dropped to the ground: Corteze with a bullet in his neck. 

While the only shots we pull today at Duel are of the espresso variety, we take our honor just as seriously as Mattie Silks herself. From the quality of our beans to the expertise of our baristas, we fight for the glory of a proper cup of coffee. The integrity of our work is never lost in the crossfire. 

Let us help you come out on top in whatever fight you’re set to win with our tastefully-curated selection of pastries & morning-starters and expertly-crafted espresso drinks. Here at Duel, we’ll be your second in any battle. Our weapon of choice? A double-shot and foam.