Tocabe by Grayhorse: An American Indian Eatery will open at the Denver International Airport (8500 Peña Blvd, Denver, CO 80249) sometime in 2023. Though an exact date has not been decided, other concessions slated to debut at the DIA next year have reported openings in April.
Tocabe is part of the Osage Nation — a Midwestern tribe of the great plains that developed around 700 BC — and was started by co-owner Ben Jacobs’ family in 1989. It is “the only American Indian-owned and operated restaurant in Metro Denver specializing in Native American cuisine,” the company website explains.”
In the late ‘80s, Tom and Jan Jacobs — members of the Osage Nation in northeast Oklahoma — moved to Denver and opened Grayhorse, “a small American Indian restaurant located in downtown Denver.” This would serve as Tocabe’s predecessor. Two decades later, in 2008, Ben Jacobs and his business partner Matt Chandra would lend their hands to the operation and help “revive” the family’s dream with the implementation of Tocabe.
In addition to their two fast-casual eateries and a food truck, Tocabe also spawned an Indigenous Online Marketplace “to enable anyone to find, source, and cook their own delicious recipes at home! All of [the] ingredients are Native and Indigenous-sourced and can be shipped nationwide or picked up in store.”
The Tocabe menu serves dishes such as Indian Tacos, Bison Ribs, and Posu Bowls, which consist of “Red Lake Nation Wild Rice or Quinoa and Wheatberry mix served with choice of vegan beans, lettuce, mild cheddar cheese, and two house-made salsas.”
What Now Denver reached out to co-owner Matt Chandra for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
