Uptown Restaurant Sullivan Scrap Kitchen Is Ending Dinner Service October 27

"It's an uphill battle," says Terence Rogers, who opened Sullivan Scrap Kitchen at 1740 East 17th Avenue with his wife, Holly Adinoff, in 2020. Its goal: eliminating waste, something Rogers had been working toward since launching his catering company, TBD Foods, in 2018.

But on October 27, Sullivan Scrap Kitchen will offer its last regular dinner service — though it isn't going away completely. The restaurant will still serve brunch from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday and will continue to operate as the commissary kitchen for TBD Foods. There are also plans to launch a supper club in the near future.

"I'm interested to see how we can utilize the space," Rogers notes. "We're just tired. We just need to catch our breath and see how things go."

When Sullivan Scrap Kitchen launched, its menu was built around "more casual, familiar food," recalls Rogers. In 2021, its zero-waste approach earned it a spot on Bon Appétit's "Heads of the Table" list, and its burger nabbed our Best of Denver award for Best Hamburger.

Then, around two years ago, dinner service shifted to more high-end small plates with wine pairings and tasting menus. After Adinoff attended MAD Academy in Copenhagen, the restaurant began to skew more plant-based.
"We realized this summer that things had started to slow down," says Rogers. "I think we pushed too far in terms of what we're doing being accessible to the neighborhood." Plus, he notes, "it's just uncertain times — people are a little more frugal with their money."

The team tried to course-correct, making moves like adding the burger back at dinner while also "giving it everything we've got to try to get on the Michelin Recommended list or the [5280] Top 25," in hopes that the recognition would boost business.

But when that didn't happen, "We couldn't continue to persevere," Rogers admits. Making the call now allowed him to give his dinner staff a month-long heads-up so they could start looking for new jobs.

Brunch and catering "has been our most reliable stuff," he notes. "Dinner is really where my heart was, but I'm glad we'll still be doing something together. ... The whole team is deeply saddened, but I'm thankful for all the support we've gotten over the years."

Rogers promises "a really fun menu for the last week," and hopes to see some familiar faces before he and Adinoff enjoy some well-earned free time to regroup.