Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Wolkon.
Josh, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I love dining “experiences.” Whether at home, on a beach, on a farm, on a hike or in a restaurant the combination of food, drink, atmosphere, people, play, laughter, hospitality, conversation and music can combine to create these memorable experiences. I love old buildings. They have a built-in character and story that lend themselves to creating something unique and special. Morphing old buildings into restaurants and bars filled with life is an incredibly challenging and rewarding experience. It is a gift to have the resources and creative minds and energy to bring such dreams and visions to reality. With each buildout comes an incredible opportunity to team up with like-minded architects, interior designers, graphic designers, chefs, mixologists and local artisans to bring the visions of a menu, space and a vibe altogether. With each new concept has come an opportunity to travel and be inspired by an industry that continues to reach new levels of creativity, design, and originality.
Vesta, our first restaurant opened in 1997 in Lower Downtown, Denver. I was 25 and driven by blind ambition to open my dream restaurant. Surrounded by young, energetic, passionate, and fun people we created a destination restaurant before Lodo itself became a destination. The term “Vesta Vibe” was coined and the foundation of positive energy, genuine hospitality, philanthropy and fun has paved the way for our company’s success since 1997. Vesta has consistently been recognized as one of Denver’s Best restaurants and remains a staple for pre-parties, engagements, first dates and celebrations. Bold flavors excite my palette. These flavors and a commitment to providing a social and memorable dining experience are the foundation of Vesta. The people, personalities and staff that execute the concept of Vesta have been the key to our success. They personify the “Vesta Vibe” which allows us to express excellence in the most inclusive, accessible, genuine and hospitable way possible.
After the first ten years, our veteran management team was ready for a new challenge. In 2006 we opened Steuben’s, named after a historic Boston restaurant that my Great Uncle’s owned in the 1940-s through the 1960’s. We saw a need in Denver for that everyday, neighborhood diner serving all of our favorite Regional American things to eat: A lobster roll from New England, a Green Chili Cheeseburger from Alberquerque, Fried Chicken and Ribs from the South. The old Dan’s Garage was transformed to create a 60’s modern diner blended with classic café. The prices are right. The cocktails are classic and the scratch kitchen executes crave-worthy dishes that stay true to their origin. The Steuben’s Food Truck launched in 2009 helping to bring the food truck phenomenon to Denver and giving the company another great resource for doing outside events and charitable parties.
In 2016, the Steuben’s team opened a second location in Olde Town, Arvada, Colorado. We renovated a 25-year-old classic diner, into a new and modern version of Steuben’s, bringing our celebrated menu to the West side of town and helping to lead the revitalization of Olde Town. I am blessed to have an incredible team of passionate people who understand this industry and love it. My wife Jen has been with me since Vesta opened and continues to be an integral part of the design and daily decision-making process while doing an incredible job with our two young boys. Vesta, Steuben’s and Ace Eat Serve are one big family with nearly 300 members.
We work and play together in an environment that encourages fun, parties, creativity, eating, drinking, playing, dancing, philanthropy, community and connecting with people. On the surface, the restaurant worlds of Vesta, Steuben’s, and Ace are entirely different, but a common thread of incredible staff, delicious food and a good times make these restaurants sisters. We are incredibly lucky and fortunate to do what we do for a living as we get to see the rewards on the faces of our staff and guests on a daily basis.
Has it been a smooth road?
Mostly a smooth road, but there are always challenges and struggles. Growth in itself presents challenges in terms of holding standards, creating systems, and from my position, stepping further away from the day today. The most challenging year of my career came when we opened our 4th restaurants (the second location of Steuben’s) and during that year had the most management turnover I had ever experienced. It was extremely hard to put energy into the new location while trying to hire and train for so many key positions that we did not expect to be open. The turnover was a combination of timing, need for change and some unforeseen circumstances.
It’s been almost 23 years in business so we have had to deal with multiple economic cycles and recessions.
The current labor shortage in Denver and nationwide has presented a huge challenge for the entire industry.
Perhaps the most challenging times are when a member of our family has passed away. It is extremely challenging to navigate the mourning process while still attempting to stay open and serve the community.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Secret Sauce F&B: Secret Sauce Food & Beverage, founded and independently owned by Josh Wolkon, operates three unique concepts; Vesta, Steuben’s, and Ace Eat Serve. All three concepts are focused on offering fun and creative dining experiences in well-designed spaces that are full of energy, yet still warm and comforting. While each restaurant’s interior has been awarded for excellence in design by either the American Institute of Architecture or the Mayor’s Design Awards, all three have also helped revitalize the neighborhoods beyond their walls, starting with the re-activation of Lodo in the 90’s and the re-establishment of uptown’s historic Restaurant Row in the 2000’s. Wolkon’s passion for up and coming neighborhoods earned him recognition as a ‘Pioneer of Lodo’ by 5280 Magazine. Steuben’s launched Denver’s first food truck in 2010.
In addition to boosting the aesthetic of their surrounding neighborhoods, Josh and the Secret Sauce restaurants are committed to improving their community through philanthropic efforts as well. Wolkon’s chefs take part in numerous fundraisers across Denver each year while the restaurants utilize their dining rooms and amazing staff to host in-house fundraising events. Plates for the Peak, their longest-running fundraiser, has raised over $500,000 dollars for Urban Peak, providing the organization with much-needed funds to help at-risk youths find safe homes, job training, and educational opportunities. On average, Secret Sauce gives almost 3% of annual profits to non-profit causes. Josh’s dedication has been recognized with National Philanthropy Day’s “Outstanding Small Business” award, the Colorado Restaurant Association’s “Restaurant Neighbor” award, and the “Business Honoree” award (for both Josh and Jen Wolkon) at the 2014 Maverick Thinkers Gala. In 2019 Josh was awarded a “Lifetime Humanitarian” award from the Colorado Restaurant Association.
The community-based awards on the company’s mantle sit next to its Green Business Certifications (for all three restaurants), as well as business-oriented awards like Wolkon’s “40 Under 40 Top Business Professionals” recognition by Denver Business Journal, the “Outstanding Professional” award from the Colorado Restaurant Association, and a “Top Workplace” from the Denver Post. This last award is one of Wolkon’s very favorites, as it is a testament to the wellbeing of his staff. In fact, the group has developed a Wellness Committee, offers their staff discount memberships at local gyms and yoga studios, and hosts annual events for their staff promoting exercise and nutrition. In 2019 Secret Sauce introduced “Zero Proof ” events focussed on mental health in the hospitality industry and launched its’ first company-wide “Quit Smoking” initiative.
Our community efforts, our low turnover, our company culture, our slow growth model, and being a fun and desirable restaurant group for which to work separate us from many others and make us proud of how we have affected our community outside of our four walls.
Vesta: Opened in 1997: At Vesta, we serve bold, sexy food from a menu that embraces seasonal, fresh ingredients. Vesta’s dining room hums with energy from the guests who are drawn in by the menu of flavorful, ingredient-driven small plates and shareable, fire-grilled meats and vegetables served alongside Vesta’s signature sauces. Seeking sustainable and responsibly-sourced products to realize chef Kayser’s modern-American, internationally-inspired menu has earned Vesta a spot on the Good Food 100 list — an honor held by only 100 restaurants in America. Vesta has been recognized repeatedly for its community and philanthropic efforts.
Steuben’s: A Classic Cafe. A mid-century modern Diner. We like to think Steuben’s is a go-to, a fallback, and a sure thing. Serving up reliable, consistent quality, with a side of high-energy fun and memories. Our friendly bar staff hosts one of Denver’s best late-night happy hours. We’ve got a good old-fashioned takeout counter for those who enjoy their homemade comfort food most when in the comfort of their own home. We’ve been featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, and have been recognized for Denver’s Best Green Chili Cheeseburger, Best Lobster Roll, Best Cocktail Bar, Best Mac and Cheese, and Best Fried Chicken served from our scratch kitchen.
Ace Eat Serve: At Ace Eat Serve’s heart is a comfortable and airy dining room overlooked by the open kitchen and chef’s counter from which Executive Chef, Thach Tran, showcases his modern and exciting style of Asian cuisine. Having spent his earliest years in Vietnam, Chef Tran’s culinary foundation is built upon memories of his grandmother’s noodle shop and the vibrant food markets of Saigon. Exploring authentically-inspired Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Korean, and Japanese cuisine has helped Thach create a culinary identity through dishes like his signature XO Rice Pillows and the Prawn and Lobster Ramen – winner of Denver’s best ramen at the 2018 Ramen Throwdown. Explore further into Ace’s lively space and you’ll find an expansive ping pong hall and unique event space as well as one of Denver’s best outdoor patio’s and lounges.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Denver has been in a growth mode since we opened in 1997. That includes population growth and restaurant growth. We have a strong, vibrant, creative and collaborative local restaurant community as evidenced by our non-profit, EatDenver. Colorado’s tourism continues to grow. With that said, the restaurant scene is more competitive than ever and low unemployment has made the competition for labor challenging and wages continue to increase. A current measure to once again increase pay for tipped employees has made the current full-service business model extremely challenging as the wage disparity between the front and back of the house worsens.
Like in all cities, delivery services and fast-casual restaurants have impacted full-service in-house dining visits. With all that said, Denver is still a great city and the best restaurants will continue to succeed. Still, if someone were just starting out, I might be inclined to encourage them to check out some up and coming cities like Nashville and Charlotte or if they wanted to stay local to look at Ft. Collins and Colorado Springs where the competition is not as high, the cost of living is not as high, and the labor pool might be a little better.
Contact Info:
- Address: Vesta
1822 Blake Street
Denver, CO 80202. Steuben’s
501 East 17th Ave.
Denver, CO 80203 Ace Eat Serve
523 East 17th Ave
Denver, CO 80203 Steuben’s Arvada
7355 Ralston Road
Arvada, CO 80002 - Website: secretsaucedenver.com, steubens.com, aceeatserve.com, vestadenver.com
- Facebook: @AceEatServe, @SteubensFoodService, @vestdenver
- Twitter: @AceEatServe, @Steubens, @VestaDenver
- Instagram: @ace_eat_serve, steubens_uptown @steubens_arvada, @Vestadenver
Image Credit:
Anna Regan
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