Amy and Dustin Barrett, owners of Tables in Park Hill, say that kitchen staffers were cheering when they were able to start plating food again. The dining experience for customers just wasn’t the same with meals packed away in boxes and delivered outside closed doors. It was, of course, a survival necessity, and even now, they’re grateful to provide takeaway for those who want it. But greater indoor dining capacity is bringing the Barretts one step closer to the true dynamic of their restaurant: an interactive experience between food and setting, staff, chef and customer.
Sitting down to dine is like taking a seat at a Broadway play, Amy Barrett says. It’s a show in its own right, where the guest’s reaction informs and inspires the kitchen. A year after the pandemic first forced Colorado restaurants to close to on-premises dining, many in the industry are looking forward to regaining a degree of normalcy, where they can see the fruits of their labor reflected in the faces o
Denver businesses submit applications for 5 Star program, hope to increase capacity
Applications went live Tuesday morning
Denver7
and last updated 2021-02-02 19:30:51-05
DENVER Dustin and Amy Barrett didn t know what to expect as they waited at their computer for the chance to submit an application for Denver s 5 Star program.
Applications opened Tuesday at 10 a.m. and the Barretts, who run Tables Restaurant, were constantly refreshing their web browsers until the site went live. They jokingly compared the experience to buying tickets for a hot concert at Red Rocks. But as soon as they started filling out the application, one could feel the tension in the room.
Park Hill Commons, a multi-use development at 2890 Fairfax Street, is getting its own coffee shop. Therizo Cafe + Tap will join other businesses like Sexy Pizza, Towards Justice and Park Hill Coworking that have already opened in the complex. Owner Dustin Barrett hopes Therizo s doors will be open for carryout service by next month.
Originally from Texas, Barrett moved to Denver in 2013 and worked in business and technology; he spent a year at Novo Coffee before deciding to open his own cafe. He wanted to use his business background to create positive social change, and thought focusing on the growers of the products consumed in a cafe would accomplish that goal.