All are operated by Mission Yogurt, a hospitality company out of Westminster that oversees numerous other DIA restaurant outposts, including ChoLon, Root Down and Etai's Bakery Cafe.
“Once we knew more about Mission — being local, being a minority business — it felt like it was the right situation,” says Tocabe co-founder Ben Jacobs, who considered opening a location at the airport ten years ago. But during his initial tour, he realized that an operating partner would be essential and shied away from the idea.
However, when Mission Yogurt approached Tocabe with a business proposal in 2018, Jacobs says,“We knew that they would do a good job.” Tocabe's agreement with DIA was solidified in 2021, when pandemic-era challenges like supply chain disruptions and economic uncertainty were widespread. And as Jacob notes, an airport restaurant comes with a whole host of unique hurdles.
“It's hard enough to open a restaurant on the street, but when you start adding in the layers of security and oversight and what you need for construction and approvals, everything is just more complicated,” he explains.
Traditional Native American dancers performed during the grand opening.
Denver International Airport
Jacobs adds, “The opportunity to share our cuisine, our culture, our community and our identity — not only to the local travelers, but to a global audience — is incredibly important.” According to Mission Yogurt founder Rod Tafoya, who spoke at the grand opening, Tocabe is the first Native American eatery to open in an airport.
To celebrate, members of North Dakota’s MHA Nation and Oklahoma’s Cheyenne and Cherokee tribes hosted a live performance at the airport with traditional dancers and drummers. Two singers also shared a blessing that honored the traditional Native land on which the airport was built, Jacob says, as well as everyone involved in Tocabe’s opening.
Samples of Tocabe's fry bread nuggets topped with powdered sugar and wojapi berry sauce were served during the event and appear on the new location’s menu. Those familiar with Tocabe’s flagship restaurant at 3536 West 44th Avenue will also recognize other signature dishes, like its fry bread tacos and build-your-own bowls.
Many selections feature ingredients from Native-owned businesses, including tepary beans and wheat berries from Ramona Farms, located on the Gila River Reservation in southern Arizona; wild rice from northern Minnesota’s Red Lake Nation Foods; and blue corn from the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe’s Bow & Arrow Brand based in southwest Colorado. When Tocabe is unable to source products from Native partners, it prioritizes in-state operations like Rock River Ranches, which supplies the meat for its most popular protein option: braised shredded bison.
“It seems like it's just a restaurant,” concludes Jacobs, “but for the Native community, it's important.” The new location is a win for hungry travelers, too.
Tocabe: A Native American Eatery is located past security near Gate A38 in Concourse A and open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Learn more at tocabe.com.
