DENVER — Two men broke into a historic dive bar in north Denver, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage, the owners explained to 9NEWS.
On Wednesday just after 6 a.m., the men broke into The Squeeze Inn dive bar. Co-owner Mikey Dalvit shared security footage showing the men using a sledgehammer to break the front window. After breaking the window, the footage shows them chaining the bar’s ATM to a truck and attempting to drive away. As a result, the ATM crashed through the bar's front window.
Dalvit and his family arrived that morning to find a gaping hole in the side of the beloved establishment. Although the suspects failed to steal the ATM, they made off with $800 and a laptop. However, Dalvit said the damage they left behind is estimated to exceed $30,000.
Denver Police said this is an active investigation and are now looking for the two suspects.
Dalvit’s parents took over The Squeeze Inn in 2016, but it has been a community hub for decades. Originally called The Hilltop Lounge when it opened in 1947, the bar has long been a place where patrons celebrate milestones.
“It’s a place that people have been coming to since they're first legal drink, back when 18 was a drinking age,” said Dalvit, who had his first legal drink at the bar.
The bar’s interior is a living history, with bricks and ceiling tiles covered in signatures and messages from customers dating back to the 1970s.
The men wielded their sledgehammer through those bricks, many of which now lie in a pile beside the building.
Despite the destruction and heartbreak, Dalvit and his family decided to open The Squeeze Inn the same morning of the break-in.
“Once we knew the building was stable enough, and we had people coming, we were like, we're not gonna let them take that away from us,” he said.
The community, many of whose names are etched on the walls, quickly rallied to support the bar. Within eight hours of the break-in, the hole was patched up, thanks to the efforts of loyal customers.
“We didn't know what we were going to do but just got fortunate to have great people around us,” Dalvit said.
Dalvit hopes to salvage and repurpose the signed bricks that were damaged, preserving the history of his family’s bar. They have launched a fundraising campaign to cover the cost of the repairs.
Despite the challenges, Dalvit is optimistic. He cited the overwhelming support from the community as a testament to the enduring spirit of The Squeeze Inn.