EatDenver

Bienvenido a EatDenver, Convivio Café ????? Convivio is Denver’s first women and immigrant-owned, Guatemalan-inspired, bilingual café whose mission is to connect seed to cup to community. Socias (owners), Kristin Lacy and Vivi Lemus, combine backgrounds in coffee retail, agricultural development, chef’ing, food justice, and immigrant rights advocacy to build relationships with Guatemalan farmers and the community, opening Convivio’s doors in 2022. From 7am daily, the Northwest Denver café serves favorites like Café con Leche and Atol Azul (sourced directly from Guatemalan farmers), and antojitos (small plates) like Tostada Trio and champurradas. Explore Convivio’s menus, events, artesanos, catering, and more at conviviocafe.com.

On Tuesday, we were joined by a community of 200 independent owners, operators, chefs, staff, and hospitality students to share a morning of education, inspiration, networking, and empowerment. Endless gratitude to our: ?? 2025 Speakers: Stephanie Winsor, Christin Marvin (Restaurant Coach, Author & Podcast Host,?Solutions by Christin), Erasmo Casiano (Chef & Owner,?Create Kitchen & Bar,?Xiquita Restaurante y Bar,?Lucina Eatery), Eric Skokan (Chef & Owner,?Black Cat Farm,?Bramble & Hare), Erika Polmar (Executive Director & Co-Founder,?Independent Restaurant Coalition), Kevin Nguyen, AIA, NCARB (Founder,?Regular Architecture), and Nokkie Lipsey (Director of Operations,?Olive & Finch Collective) ?? Sponsors: Ecolab,?Employers Council,?inKind,?MSU Denver School of Hospitality,?SpotOn,?Table22, and?US Foods ?? Food and beverage providers:?Blackbelly Market,?Butterpunk Cookies,?Novo Coffee, and?Rosenberg's Bagel ?? Sustainability Partners:?EP Distribution?and?Scraps ?? Volunteer Board of Directors and Committee members, including Kristen Rauch, Kip Wilson, Karen LuKanic, sarah abell, Chad Michael George, Bryant Palmer, Elizabeth Quaid, SHRM-SCP, Beth Gruitch, Carrie Shores, Daniel Asher, Erasmo Casiano, Giles Flanagin, Heather Dratler, John Imbergamo, Long K. Nguyen, Meaghan Goedde, Peter Newlin, and Ty Leon ?? And attendees, for supporting EatDenver's mission of connecting and empowering the region's independent food and beverage community Interested in future education opportunities? Visit eatdenver.com/membership. Interested in keeping the party rolling? Join us for our next event on Thursday, July 24, The Big Eat. Tix on sale April 22! ??: Nikki A Rae Photography

ED Talks 2025, presented by EatDenver, is TOMORROW ???? Picture this: a room crackling with energy, packed with 200+ of the Denver region's leading independent food and beverage professionals. Not just owners and operators but the fuel behind the locally and nationally recognized concepts: chefs, managers, and the hospitality heroes who bring culinary dreams to life. And in the spotlight, six industry leaders share their secrets to success, ignite inspiration, and fuel the regional food scene's evolution: ?? Christin Marvin (Restaurant Coach/Author/Podcast Host, Solutions by Christin, Restaurant Leadership Podcast) ?? Erasmo Casiano (Chef/Owner, Create Kitchen & Bar, Xiquita Restaurante y Bar, Lucina Eatery & Bar) ?? Eric Skokan (Chef/Owner, Black Cat Farm, Bramble & Hare) ?? Erika Polmar (Executive Director & Co-Founder, Independent Restaurant Coalition) ?? Kevin Nguyen, AIA, NCARB (Founder, Regular Architecture) ?? Nokkie Lipsey (Director of Operations, Olive & Finch Collective) Huge thanks to our 2025 partners: Ecolab, Employers Council, inKind, MSU Denver School of Hospitality, SpotOn, Table22, US Foods, Blackbelly Market, Butterpunk Cookies, Novo Coffee, Rosenberg's Bagels and Delicatessen, EP Distribution, Scraps Register for #EDTalks2025 now via today's member newsletter. See you in the morning!

We’re 4 DAYS AWAY from ED Talks 2025! Introducing our final speaker, Erasmo Casiano - Chef & Owner of?Create Kitchen & Bar,?Lucina Eatery & Bar, and?Xiquita Restaurante y Bar, and?EatDenver?Board Member ?? Inspired by a Mexican upbringing filled with family, friends, food, and music, Erasmo brings spice and comfort to everything he touches. Combining his Mexican roots, global culinary travels, and fine dining experiences, his dream is to recreate his past experiences and the history of his people to share his knowledge with the Denver community. Don’t miss Ras’ speech, "You're Not 'Just' Anything", where he’ll share his insights on fostering internal relationships and mentorship to drive growth within brands. Register for?#EDTalks2025?now via the member newsletter.

A warm welcome to our newest member, Alpine Modern! Co-founded in 2013 by Lon and Lauren McGowan and expanded in 2022 by now-owner Jon Baker, Alpine Modern's mission is to create spaces for human connection by serving outstanding coffee, tea and cuisine, providing genuine neighborhood hospitality, and building intentionally designed cafes. In the spirit of thoughtful fare, the menu includes seasonal lattes, lemonades, pastries, toasts, sandwiches, and bowls. From drinks and small bites to whole beans and merchandise, visit Alpine Modern on Boulder’s University Hill from 7a-4p and the 29th Street Mall from 8a-5p daily. Learn more at alpinemodern.com.

?? ED Talks is NEXT WEEK ?? We’re so excited to be joined by Christin Marvin, restaurant coach at Solutions by Christin, author of “The Hospitality Leader's Roadmap: Move from Ordinary to Extraordinary”, speaker, and host of The Restaurant Leadership Podcast. With over twenty years of experience in both fine dining and high-volume growth concepts, Christin partners with independent restaurant owners to address their most pressing leadership and business challenges, enabling them to focus their time and energy where it matters most. Join us for Christin’s speech, “The Smart Restaurant Playbook: Using Tech Without Losing Hospitality,” where she’ll share: ?? The 4 major shifts reshaping the restaurant industry—and how to stay ahead ?? A simple, no-nonsense framework for choosing the right tech for your restaurant ?? The top restaurant pain points (labor, costs, guest experience) and how tech can help ?? How to balance technology and hospitality—without losing the personal touch ?? Actionable steps you can take now to start using tech to your advantage EatDenver members - RSVP now via today’s newsletter!

Welcome to the EatDenver membership, Fonda Fina Hospitality! Born into a family of chefs in Guadalajara, Mexico, Owner and Chef Johnny Curiel brings a lifetime of cultural experiences (like street food stands) and culinary immersions (like abeulas' home kitchens) to his three concepts, Alma Fonda Fina, Mezcaleria Alma, and Cozobi Fonda Fina! ??? Alma Fonda Fina (LoHi) - Reflecting the integrity, traditional, and culture of Johnny's culinary journey, Alma features menu favorites like Aguachile De Chile Fresno, Camote Asado and Birria de Borrego ??? Mezcaleria Alma (LoHi) - Mezcaleria combines the spirit of Mexico City with a seafood-focused, small plates menu and 120+ agave expressions, capturing the innovation and culture of CDMX ??? Cozobi Fonda Fina (Boulder) - A restaurant focused around a wood-fired hickory grill, Cozobi features a robust nixtamalization program and distinctly charred ingredients to honor traditional Mexican cooking methods With wife and business partner Kasie Curiel, Johnny seeks to "unearth the heart and soul of Mexico’s rich and diverse cooking traditions and share the soul food of his homeland with Denver," a dedication that's earned him awards like a The MICHELIN Guide Star (2024), Esquire magazine's Best New Restaurant (2024), and The MICHELIN Guide Colorado’s Young Chef (2024). Visit the Fonda Fina concepts in Denver and Boulder, and stay tuned for their newest concept, Alte?o, coming to Cherry Creek this month.

Curious about the psychology of restaurant design, creating intentional spaces, and communicating a brand? Learn more through Kevin Nguyen, AIA, NCARB's speech at ED Talks 2025! Kevin is the founder of Regular Architecture, an award-winning, Denver-based architecture firm where he works with changemakers to enhance the way people experience the world. His form-meets-function ethos prioritizes the typology of a project to create beautiful, effortless spaces like Beckon, S?p S?a, Hop Alley, Uncle, Dio Mio, Point Easy, and The Wolf's Tailor, earning him accolades like the AIA Colorado Young Architect of the Year. ED Talks is in 12 days! Don’t miss our annual morning of thought leadership, empowerment, and inspiration. Registration details through the latest member newsletter.

Congratulations to the region's new February openings, re-openings, relocations, and rebrands! Welcome to Colorado's culinary community?????? ? Baumé at Union Station (Denver) ? Call Your Mother at The Denver Central Market (Denver) ? Deep Roots Winery & Bistro (Golden) ? Elemental Bakery & Coffeehouse (Denver) ? God Save the Cream (Englewood) ? Green Bus Cafe (Denver) ? Hester's Burgers & Brews/Odde's "Liquor Pie" Lounge (Westminster) ? Hibachi V Express (Littleton) ? Homegrown Tap & Dough (Parker) ? La Huacha (Golden) ? Maíz and Good Vibes Cafe (Denver) ? Mama Jo's Biscuits & BBQ (Denver) ? Maria Empanada (Denver) ? Matteo's Crepes (Denver) ? Mercantile (Denver) ? Mikaku Ramen & Temaki (Aurora) ? Novo Coffee (Denver) ? Queen City Collective Coffee (Denver) ? Sacred Society (Denver) ? The Shambles Tavern (Denver) ? Thick's Gelato and Chocolates (Denver) ? Thirteen20 (Denver) ? Umai-Ya Sushi (Arvada) ? Uptown Banh Mi (Denver) ? Uni Sushi (Highlands Ranch)

Calling all foodies ?? Visit Denver's Denver Restaurant Week returns next Friday! From March 7-16, explore over 260 multi-course menus at $25, $35, $45, and $55 price points. That's 10 DAYS of custom culinary experiences across the Denver region ?? Explore menus and make your reservations now at denverrestaurantweek.com.