What Now Media Group brought Denver-area restaurant and hospitality professionals together Wednesday, September 16, for its latest Accelerate networking event. Hosted by Marian Ebhamen, What Now Event Host, the occasion took place at Wash Park Social (1096 S Gaylord St.) and gave local operators an opportunity to connect with one another and with companies that provide services and products to the foodservice industry.
The Denver gathering included 37 attendees representing 27 businesses and companies. There were 26 restaurant and hospitality attendees representing 20 F&B/eat-ertainment concepts, and 11 representatives from seven of What Now’s Preferred Partner companies, from the restaurant technology, payroll and HR, equipment/supplies, uniforms, cooking-oil management, and payment processing.
Restaurant Attendees
1st Street Farms — Santa Fe Dr. & W Mineral Ave, Littleton, CO 80120
Philippe Failyau, CEO of Gastamo Group, attended on behalf of 1st Street Farms, a planned mixed-use commercial and community development near South Platte Park in Littleton. Littleton City Council recently approved a partnership agreement with Gastamo Group for the project.
Adventure Time Bar — 101 N Broadway #9, Denver, CO 80203
Lauren Wood, co-owner, represented Adventure Time Bar, an immersive cocktail concept designed around rotating quarterly themes. It has floor-to-ceiling set designs, interactive elements, immersive storytelling, and a curated cocktail menu.
Chicken Salad Chick — Castle Rock, CO
Maureen McFerson, franchisee, attended for Chicken Salad Chick. McFerson is developing a Castle Rock location in The Meadows, while also pursuing additional Colorado growth in the South Metro area.
Half Eaten Cookie Hospitality — Boulder and Denver
Jocelyn Sarnow, Director of Events, and Jen Fox, manager, attended on behalf of Half Eaten Cookie Hospitality. Founded in 2010, the restaurant group lists OAK at Fourteenth and Corrida in Boulder, and Acorn and BriDer in Denver, as part of its portfolio.
Mosaic Chai House — 4900 W 46th Ave, Denver, CO 80212
Rajni Posner, owner, represented Mosaic Chai House, a new coffee and chai concept planned for North Denver’s Berkeley neighborhood. It will serve signature chais, espresso drinks, sweets, food, beer, and wine in the former For Heaven’s Sake space.
Olive & Finch — 8500 Peña Boulevard, Denver, CO 80249
Director of Marketing Jamie Goodrich attended for Olive & Finch. The Denver hospitality group is expanding its presence with several spin-off operations at Denver International Airport in the works.
Peak Sim Racing — 1236 S Broadway, Denver, CO 80210
Eli Sevilla, manager and founder, attended on behalf of Peak Sim Racing. The 3,200-square-foot motorsport center is preparing to open on South Broadway with 12 high-tech racing simulators, private-event capabilities, and top-level programming.
Pick N Tap Co. — 11735 Disha Drive, Parker, CO 80134
Owner Mohan Muthu represented Pick N Tap Co., a planned Parker entertainment and dining concept that will combine indoor pickleball courts, golf simulators, taproom, restaurant, patio, and arcade games. Plans call for hosting leagues, tournaments, karaoke, trivia, and live entertainment.
Saigon Noodle Club — 5505 W 20th Ave, Suite 114, Edgewater, CO 80214
Lariza Amon, co-founder, attended for Saigon Noodle Club, a Vietnamese concept from the team behind Pho King Rapidos. The restaurant operates at Edgewater Public Market, with a menu centered around Vietnamese dishes like pho and noodle bowls.
Señor Tanuki — 3001 N Brighton Blvd, Denver, CO 80216
Ed Arai, owner and chef, attended on behalf of Señor Tanuki, a planned RiNo restaurant blending Japanese and Mexican influences. The fast-casual concept will feature bento-style bowls, tacos, cocktails, and a coffee bar, targeting a late-fall opening.
Som Dee Signature — 1442 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80202
Owners Orrapan Botthaisong and Komkrit Botthaisong attended for Som Dee Signature. The upcoming downtown Thai restaurant is the latest concept from the team, which also operates Som Dee Thai Kitchen and La Mai Thai Kitchen.
The Corner on Madison — 2800 Madison St, Denver, CO 80205
Max Bramer, owner, represented The Corner on Madison, a neighborhood grocery, café, deli, and tavern planned for Denver’s Skyland neighborhood. Alongside co-owner Emily Bramer, they are redeveloping the former Frank’s Food Mart.
Trompeau Bakery — 3239 E 2nd Ave, Denver, CO 80206
Beth Ginsberg, owner, attended for Trompeau Bakery. The concept, which opened its first location in 2001, is preparing its third location in Cherry Creek, targeting an opening later this year.
Yoshi — 1740 E 17th Ave, Denver, CO 80218
Scott Ruggiero and Shelby Ruggiero, owners, represented Yoshi, a neighborhood cocktail bar and highball lounge planned for Uptown Denver, that they hope to debut in early 2027.
Third Round Social / Flyte Co Tower — E 104th Ave, Commerce City, CO 80022
Owner Kailey Maness attended for Third Round Social, a planned entertainment and dining destination in Commerce City. The concept is being developed to feature interactive darts, shuffleboard, golf, and multisport simulators, alongside a food and beverage program.
Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii — Lone Tree, Westminster/Broomfield and Highlands Ranch
Beth Deasy, Andi Nakata, and Stephanie Hooper, multi-unit operators, represented Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii. Peaks to Waves, as their franchise team is coined, has been expanding the brand across Colorado.
Chào and Chén — 3333 S Tamarac Drive, Denver, CO 80231
Co-owners Annie Nguyen, Jonathan Nguyen, and Nhung Nguyen attended for Chào and Chén Vietnamese Kitchen. The family-owned restaurant has been developing its Hampden location at the Tamarac Shopping Center, sharing progress on its social media pages.
Magic Artisan Noodle / Noodles by Nina — 1400 E 17th Ave, Denver, CO 80218
Aaron Lauden, manager, and Michael Ma, head chef, attended for Magic Artisan Noodle / Noodles by Nina. The Chinese noodle concept operates at the former Qdoba site in Uptown, serving handmade noodles in an open kitchen eatery.
Picklr Littleton — 8100 W Crestline Ave, Unit B4, Littleton, CO 80123
Owner Ronin Rivera represented Picklr Littleton. The club just celebrated its grand opening and is now operating with indoor pickleball courts, memberships, leagues, clinics, open play, and tournaments.
Red Lotus Den — 5815 W 89th Ave, Westminster, CO 80031
Henry Lee, owner, and Jane Li attended for Red Lotus Den, an Asian-inspired food hall and entertainment venue coming to Downtown Westminster this fall opening. It will house seven chef-led kitchens under one roof, along with full-service dining, a bar, and private KTV karaoke rooms.
Partner Attendees
Auris
Scott Mulhollen, DSM, represented Auris. The company provides payroll and HR technology designed for restaurant and hospitality businesses, connecting payroll, timekeeping, and HR functions.
Cresco Resco
Adrian Morales, representative, and Timothy Rosendo, sales associate, represented Cresco Resco. The company supplies commercial cooking equipment, refrigeration, kitchen supplies, warewashing, furniture, bar supplies, and other foodservice equipment.
Global Payments — Genius Point of Sale
Angelika Linowski, software relationship manager, and David Pettit, district manager, attended for Global Payments’ Genius Point of Sale, an all-in-one restaurant POS and payment platform with tools for orders, payments, kitchen management, online ordering, inventory, loyalty, digital menu boards, and other restaurant operations.
Human Interest
Representatives Brigette Carhart and Katelyn LeBlanc attended on behalf of Human Interest. The company provides retirement-plan services for small businesses, including customizable 401(k) plans, payroll integrations, and employer-match options.
Prudential Overall Supply
Florian Griego, DSM, represented Prudential Overall Supply. The company provides uniform and textile programs for businesses, including uniform rental, leasing/purchasing, and laundering and related services.
Restaurant Technologies, Inc.
Samantha Camacho, sales executive, represented Restaurant Technologies, Inc. The company specializes in automated cooking-oil management for commercial kitchens, providing bulk oil delivery, automated filtration and monitoring, used-oil disposal, and recycling services.
SpotOn
O’Brien McCarty and Malak Oukacha, sales executives, attended for SpotOn. The company provides restaurant technology and payment solutions, including point-of-sale systems, payment processing, online ordering, hardware, integrations, and tools designed to connect restaurant operations.
What Now Media Group shares restaurant opening news in 33 cities across North America, breaking news, and provides timely insight into yet-to-open brick-and-mortar businesses. The platform shares news of thousands of openings across all 33 cities annually.
Stay tuned for future Accelerate events from What Now Media Group in 2026. For more details, see the Accelerate page here.
Click here for a complete list of our partners. To learn more about becoming a preferred partner, click here.
