Denver Restaurants Embracing the Pivot With Creative Solutions

Posted on May 5, 2020 by Bailey Crumpton. Tagged: For Candidates, Colorado Culture, For Clients

At BWBacon, we know supporting our local businesses is essential for revitalizing our community here in Colorado. It’s more important than ever to connect with local restaurants and food distributors, and invest in the buying local movement. We’ve seen firsthand how focusing on businesses in our state helps that goodwill cycle back.

Denver is bracing for an interesting summer, but restaurants all over the city are safely and creatively kindling support and delivering joy through food.  Take a look at some of the awesome ideas, and other resources on how to best support your favorite Denver restaurants.

8 Denver Restaurants Defying the Odds

Iron Distillery and Crafthouse

Iron Distillery and Crafthouse is offering amazing to-go packages like a Bake + Brunch Kit, cocktail included, and a lovely Date Night Box including a pasta meal from Il Posto and cookie dough from Black Box Bakery to complete your at-home culinary adventure. Choose from their extensive list of take-home mixer kits and become your own bartender for the night.

Leven Deli Co.

The Leven Deli Co. is now offering free wine and food delivery in Denver within 5 miles from their location in Capitol Hill. Take a look at their special Cabin Fever Reliever Menu to pick your own soups, sandwiches, and freshly baked desserts. They also have a Build-Your-Own Reuben kit and an extensive wine list. Indoor picnic anyone?

The Denver Central Market

Denver Central Market in RiNo has launched its version of grocery boxes, with a variety of options for meals to go or an entire week’s worth of produce. Load up on breakfast or curated charcuterie, local produce, special treats, dried pastas, and even boxes sized for families. Explore their options here.

Annette

Typically upscale Annette of the Stanley Marketplace in Stapleton has made its menu more casual for brunch and dinner pickup. Creating the new Annette burger and even a kids menu, branch out and order gourmet renditions of your favorite comfort foods.

Tributary Food Hall & Drinkery

In Golden, Tributary Food Hall & Drinkery has started a program called the Pay It Forward Board, where customers can choose items from the various vendors in the Food Hall to be prepared and then picked up by healthcare workers, parents, teachers, or anyone they would like. Talk about supporting the community! From cold pressed juices to full size take-home meals, the curbside pick-up farmers’ market also has Mother’s Day baskets with gourmet cheeses, chocolate, and bread for the Supermom in your life.

Cocktail Caravan

This mobile bar-tending service based in Boulder and Denver was already a master of delivery before coronavirus. They’ve started a new Community Supported Cocktail program inspired by farming CSA programs that bring fresh mixer kits with local ingredients to its members weekly. Cocktail Caravan is trying to bring this idea full circle by supporting farmers and bringing care packages to local heroes. We’ll toast to that!

Blue Pan Pizza

A classic crowd pleaser for the whole family, Blue Pan Pizza, with locations in the West Highlands and Congress Park, is stepping up its no-contact delivery game. They’re also making take-and-bake style orders, what toppings will you choose?

Blackbird Public House

Near Wash Park, the Blackbird Public House is offering “Feed the Whole Family” special menu items for pickup including a pan of baked mac and cheese or a whole fried chicken. Don’t need so much? They have regular items like sandwiches, pizzas, brussels sprouts, truffle fries, and a brunch menu too.

Other Ways to Support Local Restaurants and Farmers

Our list of restaurants blazing new trails only scratches the surface of the Denver food scene’s adaptive response to COVID-19. 5280 Magazine built an extensive resource on everything happening now with your favorite Denver restaurants. So many restaurants are still providing takeout and delivery, dive into the alphabetized abundance here.

Missing the sunny Sundays at the market? Fret not, markets will still be open! Farmers across Colorado are adapting by making incredible food boxes, pickup stations, and new delivery options available.  Take a look at how your favorite Farmer’s Markets are operating, or this list of how to start participating in an Agriculture share program.

The State of Colorado is also here to remind us how to access Colorado Proud brands directly and in grocery stores. You can also go online and thank a farmer and stay up to date on everything Colorado Proud through their Facebook page.

Creative Colorado Finding Alternative Solutions

There are also plenty of delivery and alternative pick-up options available if you are not comfortable shopping at the store, or interested in supporting local farmers and businesses. Partnering with The Fresh Guys Produce, Queen City Collective Coffee is delivering $32 boxes of vegetables and coffee to customers’ homes weekly. Take a look at this resource outlining even more options for alternative food pickup, or this list of restaurants offering online gift card purchases.

Denver restaurants are resilient, but still relying on all of us to help them stay afloat. We hope this list provided a launching point for investing in our local community. Support local, and bon appétit!


Here at BWBacon Group, we know and live what you are experiencing as an employer or job seeker in Denver, Boulder, Dallas, San Francisco, New York City or any of the other cities we work in. We believe great recruiting starts and ends with understanding people.

If you have any questions about living, working or playing any of the areas we serve, please contact us. We are happy to help. Seize the day, every day, that’s what we say!