Come fall 2023, the Down Under-bred Two Hands restaurant will be bringing its “community-focused… Australian cafe culture” to the Mile High City. The team plans on entertaining Denverites for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Lantern Development at 3985 N. Tennyson St.
Founder and CEO Henry Roberts opened the original Two Hands Café in New York City’s Nolita neighborhood in 2014. With a focus on fresh, sustainable ingredients, the concept has since expanded throughout the Big Apple and the greater United States with locations in NYC’s TriBeCa, NoHo, and Williamsburg neighborhoods in addition to spots in Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee. Dallas and Denver establishments are expected to arrive in 2023.
Two Hands prioritizes serving up fresh ingredients. Menu items include Zoe’s market plate — eggs alongside avocado, sweet potato, roasted tomato, watercress, beet relish, and quinoa, and a filling chicken bowl that brings together pulled chicken, barley, kale, pickled jicama, sweet potato, avocado, seeds, and jerk seasoning in a zesty fresh basil pesto sauce. Ingredients and plates will depend on the location and local ingredients available. Whatever is available to eat and drink, Roberts and his team will make sure to serve it up in a cozy, well-lit setting, which was the Two Hands philosophy from the outset.
“I felt that NYC was missing the Aussie cafe concept — a place where you could get a great bite to eat and an excellent coffee in a well designed space that made you feel relaxed and at home,” Roberts told What Now Denver in an email.
Towards that end, the Lantern building should be an apropos locale for Two Hands. Per What Now Denver, this will be the second new food venue in the Lantern building, positioned next to another fresh food eatery — the fast casual sweetgreen. RUE, a Dallas real estate firm, is currently redeveloping the fire-damaged building in partnership with StoryN, a Florida architectural firm, which will complete the lantern aesthetic with a wood trellis designed to resemble a chōchin — a traditional Japanese lantern.
Two Hands plans to be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, offering up 100 seats in a 3200 square foot indoor space connected to a 40-seat patio.
