A new sandwich shop is being planned for Denver’s Sunnyside neighborhood. Bodega Denver will offer an innovative take on classic sandwiches.
“A little more playful, a little bit more off-the-cuff, creative,” said Cliff Blauvelt, owner of Bodega Denver. They are still working on the menu but plan to include six to seven, chef-driven and ingredient-driven sandwiches.
Blauvelt worked as executive chef of Steuben’s for about a decade before moving to Aruba for a couple of years to open a restaurant there with an American couple. He moved back to Denver and worked as culinary director for Tap & Burger Concepts. Blauvelt’s Bodega Denver concept has been in the works for a couple of years.
“It’s been a crazy, crazy process,” Blauvelt said. Opening the restaurant without partners has been a learning experience for Blauvelt, but he isn’t nervous about the opening.
“I am surrounded by really solid people, and I think we’re just trying to do something a little different. We’re really trying to look at how we take care of the staff within the four walls, and then extending hospitality out from there.”
Bodega Denver is currently hiring, and Blauvelt plans to offer insurance and benefits to his staff members. “Happy people make happy food and experiences, and that’s really what I’m shooting for here.”
Guerilla Garden is painting a mural at the location. “I want to keep some of that old, Northside vibe that they have here,” Blauvelt told What Now Denver.
Blauvelt wants everyone to feel comfortable at Bodega Denver. “That’s where people go and get their coffee, get a breakfast sandwich, grab their gossip, those sorts of things. That’s a lot of the driving force behind this, as well—community within the staff and community within the community. And, actually live it and do it, not just say it.”
Bodega Denver is planning a grand opening for the public in late July at 2651 W. 38th Ave. Denver, CO 80211.
