Now, Young is finalizing plans to do exactly that. Last year, he connected with OTG, which develops and operates over 350 restaurants, retail markets and food halls in ten airports across the country. The company recruited Young to develop a Denver-inspired concept centered on local sourcing and nutritious meals.
The result is Sunset Loop Bar & Grill, which is set to debut next year on Concourse B-East, along with a Starbucks outpost. The concept is named after the Sunset Loop trails, a series of hiking routes in Golden's White Ranch Park. Design details include a hand-painted tile mural of the trails, an open-space layout, a bar with over thirty seats, and a grab-and-go market.
“OTG is passionate about introducing new culinary concepts that echo the airport’s sense-of- place and serve as a true extension of the community’s food scene,” OTG CEO Rick Blatstein said in a press release. “We are excited to partner with local community organizations and celebrate the chefs, farmers, brewers and purveyors that have turned Denver into the mecca of culinary innovation that it is today. Coupled with OTG’s technology innovations, we’re confident that Concourse B- East will be both a seamless and enjoyable experience for travelers and employees alike and assist Denver International Airport with its goal of serving 100 million annual passengers.”
Young is ideally suited to create a menu flavored by the Mile High City. He moved to Denver in 1980, one year after graduating high school. At the time, he was a runner focused on training for the 1984 Olympics. "Cooking was kind of my outlet for running," he recalls. Soon, his focus on nutritious, healthy fare made him a go-to chef for athletes.
Daniel Young, aka Chef D, has been cooking in Denver for over four decades.
Courtesy of OTG
But first, he has another project in the works. In February 2020, he opened Jive Kitchen & Bar in the Golden Triangle, but COVID hit just over a month later, and Jive did not survive the shutdown. Now Young is planning to open a high-end steakhouse and seafood spot called Hamba on the ground floor of the Parq on Speer apartment building this August — his Golden Triangle redo.
At the same time, he's entering the next phase of finalizing the menu for Sunset Loop. "With forty-something years of experience, it's a process of elimination to see what we can and can't do," Young explains of creating options for the concept.
He's already outlined the dishes; now he'll begin the task of connecting with local vendors through a partnership with the East Denver Food Hub to source ingredients while adjusting recipes based on the realities of the airport setup.
"Nutrition being the focal point, I really did some research as far as what we could achieve in that environment," Young adds. "The goal is to get a fresh product to the customer. ... Now it's about building recipes, figuring out presentation and implementing that into the kitchen area. I'm loving the fact that we have a year to do this."
While there's plenty of time before the opening, Young is already excited to show off his take on Denver cuisine, which includes dishes named for various places in the metro area, like the Colfax Stack (a turkey sandwich), a salad dubbed Castle Rock Greens and the Boulderado, a version of steak and eggs.
There are even nods to two Denver mayors: Hancock's Surf & Turf and Wellington's Cut, a petite top sirloin with onion rings, mashed potatoes and veggies. Other highlights include shrimp and grits — an item that was a big hit at Mimosas — and a lineup of vegan and vegetarian options, listed under the Garden of the Gods section of the menu.
"I'm excited to be able to give that last impression of Denver before people depart," Young says. "The location is really exciting. This is going to a cool challenge, to see if we can make a difference in changing the way people see airport food — and I think we can. I'm ready to go."
