Cool Companies:Slim Seven
	Sept/Oct 2006

When Bill Ward shopped for a space for his new nightclub, one space stood out for its awfulness. It was in the alley between 14th and 15th streets, between Larimer and Market streets. The 2400-square-foot space was a storage space for the Larimer Group, which owns several restaurants.

“It was a dreary basement that stored lampposts and stuff,” Ward says. “I thought it didn’t have plumbing, fire exits, or a sprinkler, so it wouldn’t work.”

But that night he had a dream. Ward doesn’t give many details, but says it involved the space, a lawn, and people doing yoga. “It was a weird dream,” he says. Somehow it inspired him, and he set up a meeting with the Larimer Group.

It turned out the space had a sprinkler system, a bathroom, and a fire exit. So it was at least plausible. The space is at the bottom of seven narrow steps, so Ward’s associates came up with the name Slim Seven.

“We were brainstorming. More heads are typically better than one when it comes to these types of things,” he says.

The extensive renovations included adding a very small office, installing Plexiglass shelves, stone pillars, and new lighting. “It’s a cool, sleek design,” Ward says. “We are more European or New York style.” Drinks are named after the seven deadly sins (for example, Lust is champagne with citrus).

Slim Seven opened on a Tuesday in May. By Thursday of that week Bill Husted and Penny Parker had already called Ward so they could mention the new nightclub in their newspaper columns. “They both called me ‘man about town’ in their stories,” Ward says.

He’s also a man about charity. Every night, Slim Seven donates 50 percent of revenues between 7 pm and 10 pm to three local charities: Denver Active 20 30 Children’s Foundation, Ascent Foundation (to increase philanthropic activity among adults age 25 to 40), and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver.

“This program is extremely aggressive and like nothing else in the industry,” he says. It’s so popular that sometimes customers donate money in addition to what they donate by buying drinks.
He adds that he’s not actively involved with any of these charities. “I think that I wanted to have that separation if for some reason there were expectations that were not met on the lines of our donation, though, as I am seeing from our first months’ donations, everyone is very excited,” he says. He has attended these nonprofits’ other fundraisers, and felt they well organized and supported good causes.
Ward also owns a marketing firm, Bill Ward Inc., and Denver Research Co., which conducts surveys and focus groups. He has worked with clients including ESPN Zone, US Postal Service, and Coors Brewing. Although his day jobs focus on advertising and public relations, his nightclub doesn’t advertise. The club also doesn’t have signage. “It’s all word of mouth,” he says. “We don’t plan on doing any advertising for a while.”

Ward attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, then lived in Aspen. He moved to Denver eight years ago, and now has many friends who are involved in philanthropy. “I run in certain circles, a lot of it being charity circles, people who give back. They are the people who are supporting us,” he says.

Although Ward doesn’t have experience opening nightclubs, he says he knew what would work, based on the events and venues that he has seen through the fundraisers he attends. “I have been out and about for so long that I knew what would work in the industry,” he says. “I have been in this town and actively social for years, so I know what Denver doesn’t have.”

His work life has been hectic lately because his market research firm recently won two new clients. He also has to sort through requests from other charities that want Slim Seven to host charity events. “We are happy to do it,” he says. “We want to give back to the community."