Our Timeline
The Sink History
1908 Before The Sink became "world famous," Boulder's Sigma Nu fraternity built the house that sat on the corner of 13th and Penn. Sections of the old stone tower can still be seen in the apartments above The Sink.
1923 The Somer and Simon families buy the building. Leo Somers adds the bar room area and opens a European-style restaurant named Somer's Sunken Gardens. To its patrons, the restaurant was fondly nick-named The Sink due to a sunken fountain in the middle of the dining room. Some recall it being filled with potted plants and having an iron railing around it.
1938 to mid-’40s Francis LeBaron buys The Sunken Gardens from Somer’s widow. (Leo died in a swimming accident at Baseline reservoir in 1932). Ted LeBaron and his wife Relia buy into the restaurant.
1945 Ted and Relia LeBaron move to Idaho and sell the restaurant to the May family. Butter is rationed.
1949 John and Pauli Pudlik buy the restaurant and eventually make "The Sink" the official name. They add the very popular 3.2 beer license, and beer is sold here for the first time.
1955 Our most famous employee, Robert Redford, works as a janitor at The Sink while attending CU Boulder.
1956 The Pudlik's sell the restaurant to Joe Beimford and Floyd Marks. Floyd eventually sells his share to Joe, and Joe turns around and sells it all back to Floyd.
1958 Floyd gives The Sink to his sister Guilda and her husband Herbie Kauvar, who was helping him run the restaurant. The two introduced the now famous Sinkburger and its signature Sink Hickory Sauce.
1959 Early on, the twisted talents of beatnik artists Mike Dormier and Llloyd Kavich (spelled with 3 L's, just for the L of it) produced the unique and timeless art that characterized The Sink. Mike paints the trademark Sink Angel and Devil. The angel represents one being sent off to the college, pure of mind and clean of body, then "transformed" by University life and The Sink into a "worldly" soul.
1960s So many have fond memories of these years. The Sink is in the front row of all the cultural changes that overtake Boulder and the nation. As part of The Sink, The Faucet Room is opened upstairs in what is now the prep kitchen. It features a stage with live music, comedy, and plays. The tradition of "signing the ceiling" starts with graduates burning their names into the ceiling with a lighter. Some say the term "Sink Rats" started in the mid-60s, referring to the younger teens who would hang out at The Sink, but were too young to (legally) drink 3.2 beer. It has since evolved to include anyone who has spent a significant time in The Sink.
1963 Two photos show a destructive kitchen fire rumored to have occurred this year and a possible reason for the change in the roof’s architecture.
1968 Future CEO of AEG Live, Chuck Morris, gets his start as general manager of The Sink and books Music in the upstairs room now called The Ally Id. He books his first act Flash Cadillac and many other bands that become famous like The Astronauts and Tommy Bolin, Eagles, and Bonnie Raitt for The Sink and later Tulagi.
1972 Herbie buys Tulagi, a popular music venue a few doors down from The Sink, and the restaurant is imbued with music culture.
1974 Flower power counterculture is strong on The Hill and full of hippies. They hang out at The Sink but don't buy anything. Herbie changes tactics, and The Sink becomes Herbies Deli. Although Sinkburgers remained, the art is covered with pine boards, and the deli focuses on creating a more family-friendly environment.
Herbie and his sons, Rick and Jim, keep the restaurant in their family for 34 years. Throughout those years, legions of devoted patrons and fans of The Sink pay homage to the CU ritual of a cheap beer and a Sinkburger.
1987 Colorado raises the drinking age to 21. Up to this point, The Sink has only served 3.2 beer. The new law allows for a full bar.
1989 Full alcohol bars change The Hill's vibe to a more college-centric area. At the urging of his sons, Rick and Jim "demand" the return of The Sink. The pine boards are removed, and Llloyd and his sidekick, Streamline the Rat Dog, are again pressed into service. Over the course of six years and frequently being locked in at night with a few bottles of wine, the old artwork is restored, and they add a lot of new pieces. The Sink, complete with a full bar, is reborn. Sink Rats the world over rejoice at the reincarnation of The Sink.
1991 Robert Redford returns to The Sink. Rumor has it Herbie got him to move a refrigerator into the building.
1992 The Sink legacy is passed on to another family, the Heinritz brothers. Together, Mark, Chris, James, and Cameron (partner) invested heavily in carefully upgrading and restoring all that is The Sink. They introduced “Ugly Crust Pizza” and the famous Buddha Basil Pie.
1993 The craft beer movement comes to Colorado. Chris and Mark begin serving emerging local and regional microbrews. The Sink is New Belgium's first account in Boulder. Fat Tire has been on tap ever since.
1995 The Sink goes through yet another facelift, which brought the addition of 18 draft lines and an upgraded kitchen. Other upgrades include; new plumbing, electrical, and HVAC. Until this point, the heat came from the gas fireplace, pizza oven, and broiler.
Llloyd and Streamline come back to restore and create more artwork, including the noteworthy piece known as “The Sinkstine Chapel,” which looks down upon the creation of all Sinkburgers.
1998 Dan Aykroyd visits one night and spins blues tunes on the jukebox. The very next morning, Robert Redford makes a surprise visit while in Boulder. He visits for about an hour, telling his story about being in Boulder and at The Sink.
2000 The Heinritz brothers buy the building from Nan Simon Timble. They now own the restaurant and the apartments above, also known as "the faucet."
2006 The Sink becomes a member of the "Greening the Hill Partnership" and commits to reducing its carbon footprint. The restaurant starts running on 100% wind power, composting, and installing low-flow water fixtures and energy-efficient light bulbs. The results are a 30% reduction in water usage and a 9% drop in electricity use.
2010 The Sink begins attracting the media's eye. Guy Fieri and the Food Network film an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives!" Fieri tries the Texas Onion Straw Burger, the Buddha Basil Pie, and the Cowboy Reuben. He also makes his mark on the wall while leaving by spray-painting his infamous logo on the Wall of Fame.
2011 In November, the DDD episode finally airs after being caught up in a dispute between the producer and the network.
2012 President Obama makes one of the all-time most unexpected visits to The Sink. Before speaking at CU, The President was hungry and made a detour to The Sink. He orders a Sinkza pizza which is renamed the "POTUS" pie. The Sink is gaining a lot of attention between this event and the DDD show.
2013 Chefs Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripart come to Boulder for their national Good vs. Evil tour and choose The Sink as the venue for their exclusive post-show meet and greet. They order the Texas Onion Straw burger, portabella burger, and Kansas City barbecue short ribs. The chefs finished their evening by signing the Wall of Fame.
Tell Jones starts as the General Manager.
2014 The Sink is beginning to get very popular with celebrities. CU legend and Heisman Trophy winner Rashaad Salaam stops by The Sink before the CU/ASU basketball game and leaves his mark on the wall of fame. The same month, Tony Mendez, Boulderite, one of the best officers to serve in the CIA and led the mission made famous in the film Argo, dines at The Sink and signs the wall. A few months later, Jake Johnson & Damon Wayans Jr. give away tickets to their movie 'Let's Be Cops' during Flip Night. Madeleine Albright visits for lunch; her sister used to babysit the Kauvar kids, Jim and Rick.
2016 Tell Jones officially joins Sink history by becoming a partner with ownership in Ritz Bros Inc. DBA The Sink. Legendary basketball player, Deadhead, and sportscaster Bill Walton visits The Sink and signs the wall of fame.
2018 The Travel Channel films a new season of Food Paradise featuring The Sink’s world famous “Ugly Crust Pizza.”
2019 Former Sink Manager and new Colorado Music Hall of Fame inductee, Chuck Morris comes to The Sink to sign the Wall of Fame next to his newest caricature by artist, Sean Bailey.
2020-22 The Sink weathers the COVID-19 pandemic. Like most restaurants across the nation, the restaurant is legally mandated to close its dining room. 90% of employees are laid off. Pennsylvania Avenue between The Sink and Cafe Aion is closed to allow for an expanded patio. Slowly, The Sink reopens its dining room with social distancing and re-hires all available staff. The Sink overcomes many obstacles caused by the pandemic by embracing technology, learning to adapt, and receiving incredible community support.
2022 The Sink is the first stop on The Man v. Food Tour in Boulder. Casey Webb tries a legendary Sinkburger, Buff Mac, and “Ugly Crust Pizza.”
2023 The Sink celebrates 100 years as the oldest restaurant in Boulder!
From the very beginning, The Sink has belonged to the millions of patrons who have passed through its front door hungry, thirsty, or simply in need of refuge from the rigors of University life. No one leaves The Sink completely—it stays with you in memories and emotions.
It has a certain Sinkness about it, and therein lies our story.
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