Wash Park Grille, the longtime restaurant that was seized by the city earlier this month for back taxes, reopened last week and is working to remedy its recent financial woes. “Our priority now is to get the employees paid as soon as possible,” said owner Jeff Estey. “Then my other priority is to get vendors paid. So, we’re treading water right now.” The Italian restaurant and the neighboring Agave Taco Bar, which Estey also owns, were closed and taken over by the city’s finance department Dec. 4 for not paying $33,358 in sales taxes. The two eateries were shuttered for about one week before reopening. “The community was behind us. I had friends get me tons of money, I had banks giving me tons. Everybody’s behind us. We just want to cure this as quickly as possible,” he said. Estey told BusinessDen on Tuesday that the city tax bill has been paid off entirely. Josh Rosenblum, spokesman for the city finance department, confirmed it stopped seizing the restaurant’s property but declined to say more, citing taxpayer confidentiality. Wash Park Grille, at 1096 S. Gaylord St., has been around since 1997. Estey and Greg Sauber  owned it until the latter’s death in 2022. They also co-owned its real estate. In June, Sauber’s estate sued Estey, accusing him of not using a $1 million life insurance payment to buy out Sauber’s shares in Wash Park Grille. Estey countersued the next month, accusing the late Sauber of saddling their restaurants with debt and writing a large check to himself. A four-day jury trial is scheduled for May in Denver District Court. Estey said the case is one cause of his restaurants’ money troubles. He also thinks the city moved too swiftly in its seizure, while he was hospitalized following leg surgery. Related Articles Restaurants, Food and Drink | Michelin-star chef and pro skater team up on Larimer Square burger joint Restaurants, Food and Drink | Magna Kainan brings authentic Filipino fare to RiNo Restaurants, Food and Drink | Michelin-recommended dining mainstay closing in Denver after 18 years Restaurants, Food and Drink | Denver’s most heartbreaking restaurant closures of 2024 Restaurants, Food and Drink | Chuey Fu’s closes along Colfax in latest unsuccessful bid to expand But that’s in the past. On Tuesday, Estey was focused on finalizing a Christmas menu and planning an annual Christmas Eve event at his mainstay restaurant in Wash Park. “We had a good meeting yesterday — a good management meeting — and everybody knows what I’m doing,” he said of his work to stabilize finances. “We’re moving forward.” Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.