Little H Burger Co hopes to open Thursday on Colorado Boulevard

Little H Burger Co will open on Thursday if all goes well.

It's been a while coming, since at least June, but Little H Burger Co should open its doors on Thursday. The first offshoot of the popular H Burger, at 1555 Blake Street, Little H is in the former Smiling Moose at 727 Colorado Boulevard. And about the only hallmark of H Burger that Little H won't have is its size.

"It's pretty much the exact same thing as downtown except it's fast-casual," says co-owner Geoff Smith. "The focus was just being on Colorado Boulevard. You get all walks of life. Some people don't want to tip. Some people want to be quicker, so we figured this would be the answer."

The non-tipping, in-a-hurry crowd will be able to order from the counter, grab a number and a seat, and wait for their food. Those desiring full service can take a seat at the bar, which will offer all the same specialty drinks, beers and award-winning milkshakes as at H Burger. The food menu will be the same, too, with the exception of a couple of non-burger sandwiches that won't make the trip across town. But you'll still be able to get the signature burgers, topped with everything from Hatch chile, to sweet and spicy bacon and red pepper-tomato jam; and they'll come in lamb, buffalo, turkey and veggie varieties.

Inside Little H.

Smith hopes to capitalize on the high-traffic area, which is already home to a couple of sibling restaurants, including the second Snooze. "Colorado Boulevard is the busiest street in Denver," he says. "It's the street you don't ever want to be on, but you're always on it...and you're always hungry when you're driving."

Little H's garage door will open up in the summer.

H Burger's owners have wanted to expand beyond their first location since they founded it two years ago, and they are not stopping at Colorado Boulevard -- though they say they won't go outside of Colorado....for now. "I'm looking at three leases right now," says Smith. "We're looking at the Tech Center, we're looking at the Highlands and we're also looking in Littleton....

"This location is a new strategy for us, so we have to make sure we do it right and properly before we move out of state. We don't have any interest in franchising. It's all owned and operated locally."