Employees raise concerns about Denver's Downtown Aquarium

A slew of allegations swirling around Denver's Downtown Aquarium suggests business operations are going far from swimmingly.

Details: A half-dozen employees, who asked to stay anonymous for fear of corporate backlash, told Westword that some of the hundreds of sea creatures on display, including the stingrays, are allegedly being mistreated. Workers say management requires stingrays be available for touching at all times and provides nowhere for them to hide.

• Sizable, sharp paint chips also float in their water and threaten to harm the sea creatures due to a botched paint job on the stingray tank last summer. Photo evidence provided by staffers supports their claims.

What they're saying: "The biggest problem is that we’re a restaurant with an aquarium attached, not the other way around," one employee tells Westword.

What else: Staff claim that throughout the pandemic they have been required to come to work, even as they await COVID test results.

• Workers also allege that some of the food products served at the Downtown Aquarium have expired for several years, and the facility also has a cockroach problem.

The other side: Landry's — the Texas-based company that has owned the aquarium since 2003 — did not respond to interview requests from Axios Denver or Westword.

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