"We're bursting at the seams, basically," Barbra Huntting told Lafayette City Council in August. She was explaining why The Read Queen Bookstore & Cafe, which she opened with Deirdre Appelhans during the pandemic, can no longer fit its book clubs, events and programs into 129 N. Harrison Ave. Council voted 6–0 on Aug. 4 to let the city manager start negotiating a sale of the empty former Chase Bank at 200 N. Public Road to the bookstore.
That building sits at Public Road and Geneseo Street. Geneseo is one end of the two blocks the Lafayette Farmers Market fills every Sunday morning. The market ends its season on Oct. 25. The city's plan is for those blocks to draw people in every season, and right now most of that plan is still in paperwork. This fall, one new restaurant is open. The bookstore move, a public house and a bakery are each waiting on a different step.
Four Sundays Left on Public Road
Today, Oct. 4, is a market Sunday. That leaves Oct. 11, Oct. 18 and the final morning on Oct. 25. The market runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Public Road between Cleveland Street and Geneseo Street. It focuses on growers and producers: farmers, ranchers, dairy, local food products and prepared foods. SNAP, DUFB and WIC are accepted, and it runs "rain, snow, or shine."
This was only the market's second season. Peter and Margo Wanberg own it. Vendors say the street draws people. Paul Bonneville of Daily Grains wrote on Sept. 20 that their bakery used to find customers mostly through word of mouth and referrals. This year the market "has brought us a whole lot of new ones." He also thanked the Wanbergs for "building a genuinely local food scene right here in Lafayette."
When the stalls come down, the question is what keeps those same blocks busy from November to May. The city has already given part of its answer.
The City Kept the Lot and Is Selling the Bank
When Lafayette opened bids on the former bank property, it split the site in two. The parking lot at 108 N. Public Road "will remain a city asset" for public use and community events "such as the Lafayette Farmers Market and seasonal pop-ups." The bank building at 200 N. Public Road was offered for sale. The city's stated goal was a business that brings in sales tax and "strengthens Old Town as Lafayette's central business district."
So the city kept the open space for the market and put a year-round tenant next to it. The Read Queen's proposal describes a flagship store with more retail, community event space, outdoor gathering areas and "an active, year-round destination."
Here is how the selection went, according to the Daily Camera's reporting carried in Colorado Hometown Weekly:
- The building is nearly 9,000 square feet, priced at $1.6 million.
- The city received three proposals. The other two came from Grant Hopfenspirger, owner of Teocalli Cocina, who pitched a community restaurant and beer garden, and from The Arts Hub with Urban West Group, which proposed splitting the building into four uses.
- About 1,800 people answered the city's survey on Lafayette Listens, and The Read Queen got the most support.
Lafayette Economic Development Director Brigid Keating told council the proposal reuses an existing building while helping a local business grow. "Small business support and retention is key," she said.
The building has not been sold. The city's project page says staff and the bookstore "are working through negotiations now" and will bring a purchase and sale agreement back to council "this fall." Keating said she expects the negotiations to succeed. Neither the city nor the bookstore has named a move date.
Where Each Project Stands as of Early October
The new projects on Public Road are each at a different stage:
| Address | Business | Status in early October 2026 | What comes next |
|---|---|---|---|
| 211 N. Public Road | Remi's Cajun Creole Cafe | Open since this summer | Nothing; it's open |
| 200 N. Public Road | The Read Queen Bookstore & Cafe | Council approved negotiations on Aug. 4 | A purchase and sale agreement, expected this fall |
| 111 N. Public Road | Triple One Public House | Website says "Opening Summer 2026"; progress page says "Getting ready for inspection" | Opening not confirmed |
| 707 S. Public Road | Daily Grains | City sent first comments on the building permit in mid-September | Final construction cost, then more permitting and construction |
Only the first row is somewhere you can sit down and eat this weekend.
The One That's Open
Axios Boulder put it this way: "Lafayette, Colorado, is getting a taste of Lafayette, Louisiana." Remi's Cajun Creole Cafe opened this summer at 211 N. Public Road and seats 60. Dara Sanchez-Mack owns it and has 15 years in hospitality. Napoleon Lewis, a Colorado native, runs the kitchen.
The menu covers gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish étouffée, shrimp and grits, po'boys and muffulettas. There's also New Orleans BBQ shrimp, fried green tomato BLTs, Creole loaded fries and sticky, sweet-and-spicy "Voodoo Wings." Axios photographed the catfish Pontchartrain.
The format fits the city's goal. Remi's has live music and cocktails, and it calls itself a community gathering place with music and events. A restaurant with live music and events gives people a reason to come downtown in the evening once the market is done for the year.
The Two Still Coming
Triple One Public House at 111 N. Public Road is close. Its own updates describe rewiring "the entire building," putting in a beer cooler and getting the main room "ready for inspection." Its "What's Happening?" page already lists a weekday happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. and patio seating. But its homepage still says "Opening Summer 2026," and summer is over. A recent Boulder Reporting Lab food newsletter still calls it a "Coming Attraction." That item lists the address as 111 S. Public Road. The pub's own FAQ says 111 North. Until the pub announces an opening date, check its own channels before you plan an evening around it.
Daily Grains is further from opening. It is also the clearest link between the market and the permanent storefronts. Ashley Overstreet and Paul Bonneville built a following at the Sunday market. Their storefront is planned for 707 S. Public Road, well south of the market blocks. Lafayette's Planning Commission approved the project's PUD and site plan on Sept. 24, 2025, with conditions. The owners filed the building permit application in July 2026 and got the city's first comments in mid-September. In their Oct. 4 update, they wrote that they are working with their general contractor "to get to a final number for the build" before going further with permitting and starting construction.
Their update also explains part of the wait. The owners have been coordinating the architects and engineers themselves "as one way to manage costs," through planning review, the commission and now the permit comments. "It's been a lot of work and a lot of learning, but we're still committed to this," Overstreet wrote. No opening date has been posted.
What Public Road Looks Like This Winter
Put together, the winter picture is simple. The market's last morning is Oct. 25. Remi's is open at 211 N. Public Road with Southern cooking, cocktails and live music. The Read Queen is still at 129 N. Harrison Ave. while its purchase agreement works through City Hall. The 108 N. Public Road lot stays a city asset, available for community uses that include the farmers market and "seasonal pop-ups."
There's one change off Public Road worth knowing about. The unionized Starbucks near U.S. 287 and South Boulder Road served its last day on Sept. 26. The Longmont Times-Call reported it was one of 250 North American closures.
The next public step for Public Road is the purchase and sale agreement for 200 N. Public Road. City staff say it will go to council this fall. Council's agenda packets are posted in the city's online archive.
If you own a home or business near Old Town and want to talk through how the 200 N. Public Road sale, Triple One and Daily Grains might change your stretch of Public Road over the next year, Timothy Spong follows these council decisions and permits closely. Let's Connect.
