by Luke Schmaltz | Oct 22, 2021 | General Featured
“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.”
by Luke Schmaltz
Fear and Loathing in Aspen — a forthcoming film set in Colorado’s most notorious mountain town — is packed with parallels to current issues, rich with the warm, grainy texture of 20th Century celluloid, and thick with finely tuned, bittersweet irony.
Unlike predecessors, this film offers a more subtle, nuanced interpretation of the outlandish escapades of the late writer — Hunter S. Thompson. Director Bobby Kennedy III delivers a concise, thoughtful, and well-rounded narrative of Thompson’s 1970 run for Sheriff of Pitkin County, Colorado, on the Freak Power ticket.
Hit Movie: Fear and Loathing in Aspen is a direct hit with many of today’s hot-button issues.
In one scene, Thompson (masterfully played by Jay Bulger) says, “The freaks — they’re everywhere … and they can vote.” He continues his commentary on the local counterculture with more poignant observations, “One of the main things I’ve learned out here is there are all kinds of very capable people wandering around with no place to use their energy. If we can put this energy to work, we’ll have a helluva tool on our hands.”
Throughout the piece, Bulger, who bears an uncanny resemblance to his subject, manages to deliver a convincing portrayal of Thompson while somehow avoiding the character tropes, overblown mannerisms, and hyper-exaggerated speech patterns Thompson’s persona has elicited from those who have portrayed him in the past. Here, viewers are treated to a glimpse into the psyche of a deeply complex character without having to endure the gallivanting around and flailing about of cinematic forebears. Rather, Bulger delves deeper into the humanity of the character, using a somewhat even-keeled anchor point to mount emotional plunges and manic ascents.
Visually, the film pays on-target homage to the wobbly, hand-held 8mm footage that captured many moments of the actual events in the story. Kennedy masterfully rotates between smoothly edited, narrative scenes, and grainy handheld sequences that, were it not for impeccable continuity, could be mistaken for amateur found footage from 1970.
Parallels Abound
Although the story is 50+ years old, the film zaps a cattle prod to a number of today’s hot-button issues. Thompson’s Freak Power party runs the very essence of a grassroots political campaign, echoing current political concerns such as voter reluctance, voter suppression, and election fraud. Meanwhile, the “freaks” of the Aspen Valley — fringe-dwelling refugees of the status-quo — are eerily reminiscent of the drug-addled tent-dwellers of today’s Denver, although in the movie they represent heroism, positive change, and social evolution. And then, there are the conservative gentrifiers who are systematically overtaking Aspen and making Thompson’s proposed utopia an all-but-impossible pipedream. Given the overrun, overdeveloped, and overpriced state of Pitkin County today, it makes you wonder how vastly different that sector of Colorado would look had Thompson been victorious.
A Brazen Platform
Portrayal: Actor Jay Bulger delivers a nuanced, spot-on portrayal of a pop culture legend.
As one would expect, his platform was as sweeping and rebellious as the man’s reputation. “We will sod the streets at once” he begins. “Rip up all city streets with jackhammers and use the junk asphalt, after melting, to create a huge parking and auto storage lot on the outskirts of town. We will change the name of Aspen, by public referendum, to Fat City, to prevent land rapers, greedheads, and human jackals from capitalizing on the name ‘Aspen.’ Aspen, Colorado, would no longer exist, and the psychic alterations of this change would be massive in the world of commerce. By this approach, making hundreds or even thousands of individuals personally responsible for protecting the animals, fish, and birds that live here, we would create a sort of de facto game preserve without the harsh restrictions that will be forced on us if these bloodthirsty geeks keep swarming in here every autumn to shoot everything they see.”
Acerbic, To Wit
In Character: Jay Bulger stays entrenched in character throughout the film.
Alas, the irony that Bobby Kennedy III deals out to viewers is deeply poetic. He skillfully helms a cinematic vehicle that is clearly aimed at the establishment, the status quo, the Good Ol’ Boys Club that his grandfather and great uncle (Bobby and John F. Kennedy) attempted to topple.
While the outcome of Thompson’s run for Sheriff of Pitkin County is well known, Fear and Loathing in Aspen is not to be dismissed for simply retelling the bittersweet parable of an American underdog. Lest it be forgotten, this country was founded by rebels with revolutionary thinking and radical solutions. As Bulger soliloquizes at the end of the third act, “If you ever get the chance to sweep the fatbacks off their feet, don’t f@*k it up.”
Fear and Loathing in Aspen is indie filmmaking at its finest, hearkening back to the glorious cinematic movement of the 1990s where formula, big name actors, plotless blather, and CGI sensory overload were not the order of the day. This film deserves a fair shot at the permaculture, for sheer entertainment value as well as historical significance. Should you crave a cinematic experience that requires a bit of thinking, a fair modicum of empathy and a healthy sense of the ridiculous — this film is for you.
by Mark Smiley | Oct 22, 2021 | Travel
Pitmasters From Across The Country Served Their Award-Winning BBQ To Attendees
by Mark Smiley
Friendly Competition: The two Colorado BBQ restaurants that were part of the 3rd Annual BBQ Festival in Denver posed with Alex Knight, Sales Representative with sponsor Ole Hickory Pits. From left to right: Jodi and Keith Segura, Woodhill Small Batch BBQ; Alex Knight, Ole Hickory Pits; and Jason Ganahl, GQue BBQ.
Some of America’s most award-winning BBQ pitmasters descended upon the Mile High City for the 3rd Annual Denver BBQ Festival which was held September 17-19, 2021, in the parking lot at Empower Field. They served their BBQ to attendees over the course of the weekend.
Ole Hickory Pits was a major sponsor of the event and they provided commercial pits for all pitmasters to cook on throughout the weekend. Ole Hickory Pits manufactures and markets state-of-the-art commercial, competition, and residential barbecue smoker ovens, in addition to barbecue equipment, sauces, seasonings, and lifestyle products.
A total of 12 pitmasters from eight states served over 30,000 pounds of meat. This festival is not a competition, just an opportunity for attendees to purchase BBQ they would not normally be able to acquire in town.
Local Favorite: Jodi and Keith Segura from Woodhill Small Batch BBQ had the longest lines of any of the restaurants in attendance at the 3rd Annual BBQ Festival.
However, two local favorites were on hand, GQue BBQ and Woodhill Small Batch BBQ. Having hometown advantage must have helped Woodhill Small Batch BBQ from Littleton. They were the only BBQ pitmaster that needed extra barricades set up on Friday night due to long lines. “We didn’t anticipate having the longest line last night [Friday, September 17],” said Keith Segura, co-owner of Woodhill Small Batch BBQ. “I guess it was hometown advantage.”
Segura grew up in Sterling, Illinois, in a subdivision of 20 homes on a farm. As a kid, he fondly remembers pig roasts and eating sweet corn with salt and butter. “That memory was always in my mind ever since I was a kid,” said Segura. “I said when I grow up to be an adult, I want to do that same thing.”
And do the same thing he did, along with his wife Jodi, whom he met when she pulled him over for speeding when she was on state patrol. Now, they enjoy running the food truck and catering business together. The name Woodhill comes from Jodi’s family’s farm name in Illinois. And the name Small Batch comes from when they first started out and only did small batch BBQ for breweries such as Breckenridge Brewery.
Now, you can find Woodhill Small Batch BBQ’s truck at Max Taps Brewery in Highlands Ranch (November 13), and Living the Dream Brewery in Littleton (November 20). There you can surely find brisket and ribs which are Segura’s favorite meats to smoke. And you may also find their famous “twinkie” which has jalapeno stuffed inside with bacon wrapped on the outside.
For more information, visit www.woodhillsmallbatchbbq.com or on Facebook and Instagram @woodhillsmallbatchbbq.
Championship BBQ In Colorado: Jason Ganahl, owner of GQue BBQ in Colorado, displays his famous homemade kettle chips at the 3rd Annual BBQ Festival in Denver.
No stranger to great BBQ, Jason Ganahl, owner and pitmaster of GQue BBQ, is proud to be the only championship BBQ restaurant in Colorado. It opened its first restaurant in Westminster six years ago. GQue also has locations inside Empower Field, Park Meadows Mall, and a new location in Lakewood opening next month. “We are out here sharing our food with everybody else,” said Ganahl. “We are spreading the wonderful flavor of smoked meat like BBQ sauce.”
Ganahl rejects the idea that Colorado has a hole in great BBQ in the state. He concedes that the perception is that places like Kansas City, Memphis, and St. Louis have the solid reputation of good BBQ that you can find every five miles. “I think over time, over the course of the next 8-10 years, hopefully more and more people will appreciate what I’ve long appreciated, being from the Midwest, and that’s the flavor you get from a delicious piece of smoked meat,” said Ganahl.
Once that reputation builds it will force each BBQ establishment to elevate its game which Ganahl welcomes. “We eliminate the word complacency from our vocabulary,” said Ganahl. “Success is rented every single day. You have to go out there and earn it. I feel like if we show up every single day and we cook the food the way it’s intended to be cooked, and we deliver it in an inviting and appreciative way, then the sky is the limit. That is the challenge with multiple locations, and lunch and dinner service.”
For more on GQue BBQ, visit www.gquebbq.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram @GQueBBQ. Visit their website and sign up for their email alerts to receive a coupon for a free pulled pork sandwich.
Black’s Barbecue: From left to right: Barrett Black, fourth generation owner of Black’s Barbecue; Kent Black, third generation owner of Black’s Barbecue; and Eric Lenderman, Manager, Operations at Black’s Barbecue, served their famous brisket and sausage at the 3rd Annual BBQ Festival at Empower Field.
Another well-established BBQ restaurant with multiple locations in attendance was Black’s Barbecue, the oldest BBQ restaurant in Texas. Black’s was started in 1932 in Lockhart, Texas, which is known as the official barbecue capital of Texas. Black’s Barbecue was originally founded as a meat market and grocery during the Depression after a poor farmer and cattle rancher named Edgar Black made a handshake deal with a friend who wanted to open a meat market.
As third generation pitmaster Kent Black explains, his grandfather Edgar had heart problems and asked his son, who was an accountant for Exxon, to help at the restaurant for six weeks while he recovered. Six weeks turned into 50 years of growing the business. Edgar Sr. died in 1962, at which point Edgar Jr. and his wife Norma Jean took over the business. Edgar Jr., who passed away in 2017 at the age of 91, left the restaurant to Kent who now runs Black’s Barbecue’s four locations along with son Barrett.
Sponsor: Made Here beer was a sponsor of the 2021 Fest
And Kent’s mom, who is 90, still comes into the Lockhart restaurant from time to time. “She’s the boss,” said Kent Black, owner and pitmaster of Black’s Barbecue. “When she walks into the restaurant, it is like Elvis walking in.” All of the side dishes at the restaurant are based on her recipes.
Black claims his father was the first to barbecue brisket in the 1950s. And now, that is Black’s Barbecue’s signature dish. Black’s Barbecue’s homemade sausage was also served at the BBQ Festival. The sausage recipe has remained the same over 90 years and they make it in small 100-pound batches.
For more information or to order meat to be shipped to your home, visit www.blacksbbq.com.
Having generations of pitmasters working side by side and eventually taking over the business is common in this tight-knit world. That is true for Leslie Roark Scott, known as the BBQ Princess, who learned from her dad at a young age. Her dad was an award-winning pitmaster and as a teenager, Roark Scott learned how to cook ribs and would present them to judges. Her dad let her fly on her own and face the judges’ questions by herself.
That built her confidence and allowed her to become the first female to win a grand championship on the Memphis circuit back in 1992. She remembers driving four hours from college to help her dad at a competition. “BBQ is what tied us and kept us tied together,” said Roark Scott, owner and pitmaster of Ubon’s Restaurant in Yazoo City, Mississippi.
BBQ Princess: Leslie Roark Scott from Yazoo City, Mississippi, was among one of the 12 pitmasters serving her BBQ over the September weekend.
Ubon’s opened in 2004 and in 2011, Ubon’s began participating in festivals. “About 10 years ago, we slid into the festival scene because what we figured out is where our joy comes from is watching people get excited about food that they haven’t tried before, and offering them an experience that’s hands-on,” said Roark Scott. “I also have the chance to leave Mississippi and shine a different light on my home state. I really feel like festivals like this make people more aware [of good BBQ]. If you’ve never had really good brisket and you get here and you eat brisket from Black’s, you say I’m not putting up with crap anymore.”
For more information on Ubon’s Restaurant, visit ubonsbbq.com and follow them on Instagram and Facebook @Ubons.
Blues Hog Barbecue made a big splash at this year’s festival with music playing and a whole hog on the pit (of which they handed out samples to attendees in line). Blues Hog was the 2021 World Champion in pork shoulder and they served this dish along with a pineapple slaw. Their customers from back home came [Washington, Missouri] to help prepare and serve the food.
“When we go to these regional events, we like to get our customers involved so they can enjoy it,” said Joey Machado, Marketing Director for Blues Hog Barbecue. “Denver is a really nice event. They get about 30,000 people over the whole weekend. I was leery because of the year that it is. That maybe we wouldn’t get as many people as we thought were going to. We honestly have had a ton.”
Blues Hog: Joey Machado, Marketing Director for Blues Hog Barbecue always learns something new at competitions and festivals.
Blues Hog makes sauce, seasoning, and charcoal, which are all available for purchase on their website and select stores in the Denver Metro area. When asked about the secret to good BBQ, Machado had a quick answer. “The secret to BBQ is passion,” said Machado. “The willingness to make mistakes is what makes you really good at BBQ. You can go online, you can watch YouTube videos, you can read books, and do everything else. But if you’re not making mistakes in your backyard and understanding what you have to do, that’s it, that’s the best way to learn BBQ. At the end of the day, I BBQ to put smiles on people’s faces.”
There were plenty of smiling faces at this festival. Mark your calendar for Father’s Day weekend in 2022 as the 4th Annual Denver BBQ Festival will roll into town again. Visit www.denverbbqfest.com for all information and updates.
by Glendale Sports Center | Oct 22, 2021 | Glendale City News
by Jessica L. Giffin, MPH, CHES, NBC-HWC, Director of Health Partnerships, YMCA of Metro Denver
November marks the beginning of the holiday season — a festive time when our thoughts turn to re-connecting with friends and loved ones to celebrate the holidays. During the colder Colorado months, we are gathering for celebrations that take place indoors and, as we know, that can put some of us at greater risk. Did you know that older adults with diabetes or pre-diabetes can be at higher risk for becoming very ill, particularly with COVID-19?
During November — National Diabetes Awareness Month — it is a call to action for those at risk but there are some steps you can take to protect yourself.
Get Vaccinated
According to a study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, coronavirus vaccines have prevented 265,000 infections, 107,000 hospitalizations, and 39,000 deaths from the virus in the first five months of this year.
Older adults with multiple underlying medical conditions are most at risk of serious illness. Throughout Denver and the state, there are many sites where you can get immunized. Check the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment at covid19.colorado.gov for answers to frequently asked questions about the vaccine and convenient location of vaccine clinics.
Take Precautions While Traveling
Even though you may be vaccinated for COVID-19, there are rare breakthrough cases. In recent domestic travel guidance, the Centers for Disease Control recommends for those who are vaccinated to wear a mask and take precautions like hand washing and social distancing and then self-monitor for symptoms post-travel. For those who are unvaccinated, the recommendation is to take the same precautions in addition to getting tested 1-3 days before travel and 3-5 days after travel.
Reduce Your Diabetes Risk
Your age, lifestyle, and being overweight can put you at risk for diabetes. Taking a risk test or asking your doctor for a blood test. Type 2 diabetes doesn’t have to be permanent.
If you have prediabetes, there are things you can do to prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes. Consider joining the YMCA Diabetes Prevention program. Trained staff can help you make healthy food choices, get physically active and, in turn, lose weight, all of which can make a big difference! For those with Medicare Part B and United Health Care Advantage, the YMCA program is covered. Learn more and connect with our team at denverymca.org.
Stay healthy and safe this holiday season and beyond!
by Mark Smiley | Sep 27, 2021 | General Featured
by Mark Smiley
Closed: Civic Center Park will be closed for at least two months due to it being a violent, drug, and rat infested area. Many Denver residents are upset with the rise in crime and drug use in the area.
The City and County of Denver closed Civic Center Park and adjacent areas to the public in order to abate significant public safety and environmental health risks that have grown over the past several months and to rehabilitate one of the centerpieces of Denver’s parks system.
The park closed on Wednesday, September 15, 2021. According to the city, the park will be restored to a stable and safe state that is welcoming for all Denver residents.
“The current challenges within Civic Center Park have reached a tipping point, creating conditions that put the public’s health and safety at risk,” Mayor Michael B. Hancock said. “This cannot and will not be allowed to continue. This is the people’s park and we are taking steps so that everyone can once again feel safe and welcomed there.”
“We are seeing our city getting overwhelmed by crime and sanitation issues,” said Mike Silverberg, Denver resident. “People are afraid to go downtown an
ymore, and now what was a crown jewel park has been fenced off and closed. The latest consequence of Denver’s “friendly” modeling of San Fran, Seattle, and Portland-type policies and acceptance by the silent majority that this is, and growing crime rates, are acceptable.”
Over the course of the last several weeks, officials from Denver Public Health & Environment have been monitoring conditions in Civic Center Park, Pioneer Fountain at the corner of Broadway and Colfax, and MacIntosh Park Plaza at 15th Ave. and Cleveland St. for health and environmental hazards which create ongoing unhealthy conditions for all users of the park. Many unsafe conditions were noted, including: litter and food waste that attract bugs and rodents; dozens of rodent burrows; human and pet waste which contribute to the spread of disease and impact water quality; and improperly discarded needles and other drug paraphernalia that creates risks to people v
isiting the area and to workers tasked with maintaining the area.
In recent weeks, excessive amounts of trash have accumulated each day, consisting of discarded food, as well as human and hazardous waste, resulting in additional labor hours and rodent infestation. Graffiti and fire damage to the historical stone structures will require professional restoration. A thorough evaluation of the park is also required to ensure all hazardous waste is properly identified and removed.
In addition to the public health risks observed in Civic Center, the park and surrounding areas have become a hotspot for violence, crime, drug sales, and substance misuse, jeopardizing the public’s ability to safely enjoy one of Denver’s treasured outdoor spaces.
The closure is temporary, and Civic Center Park will re-open when abatement measures have been completed and the park is safe for everyone to use. Organizers of scheduled events in Civic Center Park are being contacted for relocation to other park properties.
According to a CBS Denver report, the closure could last as long as two months. The city, however, did not provide any additional information about the timeline of the closure. “When work is complete and all public health issues have been mitigated, Civic Center Park and surrounding areas will be reopened,” read a city press release.
by Luke Schmaltz | Sep 27, 2021 | Editorials
If anything is good for pounding humility into you permanently, it’s the restaurant business. — Anthony Bourdain
by Luke Schmaltz
By the end of 2019, the Mile High City’s hospitality industry was humming at a fever pitch. The slave-wage, cutthroat, desperation-driven, mercenary mindset which has driven this profession for decades was charging forth at full steam. This pulsating, sweat-drenched beast, however, was unaware that it was about to splat face down onto the floor like a piping hot pizza that was dropped by an underpaid line cook who showed up to work sick.
Research by the Colorado Restaurant Association shows restaurant worker employment numbers are below pre-pandemic levels. Colorado Restaurant Association image
By late March of 2020, the industry was being systematically gutted by circumstance. In the span of several very long months, many once-coveted, hard-to-land FOH (front of the house) and BOH (back of the house) positions had become vacant and were up for grabs. The “Great Reopening” had revealed a vacuum in the workforce. Much of the previous labor pool, while locked down and on unemployment, have seemingly discovered other options — perhaps pursuits offering better compensation, lower stress and even (gasp) employee benefits.
Surf’s Down
In May of this year, at the onset of patio season, the Colorado Restaurant Association reported that nine out of 10 restaurants were having trouble hiring. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that between February of 2020 and June of 2021, a restaurant labor pool of 234,500 had recovered to a mere 223,600 — nearly 11,000 workers lower than the previous tally. This begs the question, “Where did they all go?”
In some instances, highly valued, seasoned professionals with years of FOH and/or BOH experience have pivoted and moved onto other pursuits. For example, 14-year Denver industry worker Nolan Ackerman (Southside, Goosetown Tavern) says, “I used the pandemic to finish my bachelor’s and get an internship. I’m out, for now.”
Meanwhile across town, Denver industry veterans and wife/husband team Casey Keller and Roy Benoit have pivoted inward, courageously becoming restaurant owners in late summer of 2020 (Wendell’s, 3838 Tennyson St.) Thus far, attracting qualified help has been somewhat of a challenge, “Overall volume and quality of applicants has been… discouraging,” Benoit explains. When asked about where the talent pool of qualified workers has gone, Benoit has a revealing perspective. “I feel that a lot of previously full-time industry folks often have skills or education that makes them marketable in other fields… and the last year has given many of those people the opportunity and/or impetus to pursue those things,” he begins. “There are certainly some people still collecting unemployment; we’ve physically seen this in people scheduling or coming to interviews for the admitted sole purpose of required work searches. I will say, I feel more of those lingering on unemployment may not be industry ‘professionals,’ if you will, but rather newer or shorter-term industry workers.”
Rather than spend time waiting for external circumstances to improve, however, Keller and Benoit have curated their own strategy for cultivating and maintaining a solid crew. “We believe in paying our people well to begin with and ascribe to quality over quantity when it comes to staffing,” Benoit says. “We currently have a very talented and dedicated staff and have done our best to compensate them accordingly. Now, it is possible we’re shorting ourselves some applicants by not openly advertising above industry norm pay, but even with the current pool, we’d prefer to be choosy and give ourselves the opportunity to pay quality staff what they’re worth and continue to do so.”
On the front lines across Denver, newer industry recruits are having to shoulder heroic workloads as people are coming out in droves to rekindle the beloved American pastime of “going out.” Crews of veritable “newbies” are facing hordes of guests in the FOH and torrents of orders in the BOH that would give the most hardened of veterans the heebie jeebies. In some instances, in order to avoid staff burnout, some establishments are having to cut their hours of operation or to simply remain closed on certain days.
Not Always The Case
Bull & Bush Restaurant/Brewery has largely avoided staffing woes. Image courtesy of David Peterson
Other establishments such as the beloved Bull & Bush on Cherry Creek Dr. have managed to circumvent the labor shortage. Bar-tender Dave Hummel explains the company policy of starting FOH personnel as hosts/hostesses and requiring them to work their way into the higher paying positions of waiting tables and tending bar. This may explain their FOH employee retention rate — even amid the current climate. “The only [labor] shortage we are really having is in the BOH,” he says. Restaurant co-owner David Peterson (with brother Erik) confirms this, saying, “There were a bunch of people chomping at the bit to get back to work. There were a few who opted to stay away and collect unemployment. But, for the most part, we managed to keep most of our staff.” Peterson goes on to explain with a rare tone of optimism, “We have been so busy, unbelievably so, we are breaking record sales.”
This new climate, however, has given rise to a novel phenomenon previously unheard of by most restaurateurs — even a lifelong professional like David Peterson. Recently, an employee of his kitchen staff lobbied for a raise by saying that he could simply go to another restaurant in Cherry Creek and get paid $20 an hour to do far less work because the place would be half as busy. Peterson was unfazed, however, explaining, “Yeah, I get where the guy was coming from. But what he doesn’t realize is that if the place is slow, they might give you the same amount of money, but they are going to cut your hours.”
Bar Car retains a core staff through superior treatment of employees in a preferred establishment in which to work. Jeremy Matzke image
Just across Colorado Boulevard to the North, another long-cherished mainstay establishment has a similar story. Bar Car is a one-of-a-kind blink-and-you’ll-miss-it type of place. Owner Jeremy Matzke believes their company policies helped them deflect the post-shutdown woes. “Speaking strictly from a small, well established locally owned bar, our reputation has held strong, [as] we are a desired place to work,” He begins. “We firmly believe in treating our employees as humans with opinions and feelings and make extra efforts to treat our employees with grace and [as] part of our family … we feel this philosophy is much stronger than most incentives.”
A Nationwide Phenomenon
Former Denver bartender-turned NYC drink slinger Donald Murphy, left, believes the service industry labor shortage is a nationwide problem. Donald Murphy photo
Shifting focus to the nation as a whole, it is becoming clear this is not just a Denver phenomenon — but something possibly taking place from coast to coast. Former Denver bartender Donald Murphy aka “Murph” (Splinters from the Pine, Pasquini’s Uptown) now works as senior drink-slinger and art curator at Upper East Side Manhattan’s esteemed Merrion Square. “This is a nationwide problem,” he attests. “All of the career people who had time off during Covid decided to collect their UI benefits as though they were finally recouping the would-be tips from every time they got stiffed,” he begins. “A lot of people realized, with all that time off, they never really wanted these jobs in the first place. In order to thrive in this industry, you have to truly enjoy serving people, helping guests have a good time, and talking shit with strangers.” Murph goes on to explain that amid the political/presidential madhouse that began in 2016, working in the FOH is not nearly as fun because of a combative, general populace that is divided by social ideals like never before. Many people, when out in public, are either intentionally rude or overly sensitive. This might explain the unattractiveness of the service industry to many entry-level people. “Social division has made working in restaurants and bars not nearly as enjoyable,” he says.
Lopsided Demographics
Back in Denver, the labor shortage seems to be prevalent in some areas and nonexistent in others. For example, many businesses in the LoDo district, the Highlands and the RiNo district are short staffed while outliers in more suburban areas are not. This might also be explained by the average restaurant worker wage compared to the costs of living in these areas. After all, who wants to commute into a congested area, search for parking (if you even have a car), wait on people who live in the neighborhood and make more money than you (entitled a**holes), and then commute back home to your meager dwelling every day?
To combat this, restaurant owners, at least some, are adopting new business models with a variety of adaptations. Some feature higher hourly wages while others offer profit sharing for untipped workers and others are doing the unheard of by offering benefits to part-time, tipped employees. Yesterday’s service industry professionals who have moved on may catch wind of this and be taken aback in utter disbelief. Whether it brings them back into the fold, however, seems rather unlikely — but only time will tell.
by Mark Smiley | Sep 27, 2021 | Travel
The renovation brings the hotel in line with the future vision for Sheraton Hotels that is being rolled out at properties around the world.
by Mark Smiley
Unveiling Becomes Official: Mayor Michael Hancock cuts the ribbon to unveil the $80 Million renovation to the Sheraton Denver Downtown. From left to right: Rachel Benedick, Executive Vice President, Convention Sales & Services at VISIT DENVER; Tony Dunn, General Manager of Sheraton Denver Downtown; Mayor Michael Hancock; Steve Arnold, Principal at Sea Hospitality; J.J. Ament, CEO of Denver Metro Chamber. Photo by Photography G, Inc.
On September 16, 2021, the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel revealed a full-scale renovation of its guest rooms, lobby, public and meeting spaces as part of Sheraton’s worldwide transformation of its guest experience vision. Drawing on its roots as a community hub for locals and guests at flagship locations globally, the new approach for Sheraton creates an intuitive and holistic experience with places to connect and be productive.
“With the Sheraton and the 16th Street Mall, and some other major investments we’re making, we’re gonna fight like hell to make this a place people want to come to and feel safe and enjoy themselves,” said Mayor Michael Hancock, who attended the reopening event. “Denver is proud of its vibrant downtown. And we may have slipped a little bit with some of the challenges we face, but we never give up in the game of being a destination.”
The completion of this $80 million hotel renovation changes the face of the hotel and Denver’s iconic 16th Street Mall. The city of Denver will begin its $150 million renovation of the 16th Street Mall in the next few months. The goal is to make the corridor more walkable and give more outdoor space to businesses that line the street.
Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel has long been a familiar anchor in Downtown Denver, serving as the largest meetings/ events hotel in the City with roots deep in the local Denver community. The transformation journey is now officially complete, with all aspects of the hotel updated and refreshed — including a new arrival experience, 133,000 square feet of renovated meeting space, and 1,238 newly redesigned guest rooms and 138 suites, as well as a new culinary and beverage experience. Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel is among the first in the country to undergo the larger brand revitalization that will ultimately transform all future Sheraton hotels.
“We are honored to be one of the first hotels to bring the new Sheraton brand to life in the heart of Denver,” said Tony Dunn, General Manager for the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel. “The renovation will serve to highlight what is already incredible about the local Denver community — and bring the best of the Sheraton brand to downtown. As travel starts to resume, these changes will strengthen Denver’s position as a global gathering place for groups, conventions, guests, and locals alike, and will act as a public square for our growing, evolving city.”
The renovation was completed in a phased approach over the last two years. The transformation of Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel is part of a global project currently being undertaken by Sheraton Hotels & Resorts to bring all of its properties in line with the new vision for the brand, which was first unveiled at the NYU Hospitality Conference in 2018.
For more information, follow the Sheraton Downtown Denver Hotel on social media on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ SheratonDenverDowntown; Twitter, twit ter.com/sheratondendtwn; and Instagram, www.instagram.com/sheratondenver downtown. Visit their website at www. marriott.com/dends.
