Community Highlights: Meet Joshua Pollack of Bridge and Tunnel Restaurant Group

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Pollack.

Hi Joshua, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born and raised in the suburbs of New York City, where he first fell in love with the city’s classic food and beverage establishments. When I relocated to Colorado for college, I realized that he greatly missed the restaurants he grew up with and became determined to bring the magic of my favorite eateries Tony new home.

After graduating from the University of Colorado Boulder, I launched his first businesses in live event production and medical cannabis. I then returned to the University of Colorado (this time in Denver) to pursue a certification in entrepreneurship. I was awarded a grant to start my business and opened Rosenberg’s Bagels and Delicatessen in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood on July 26, 2014. The concept was so well received, Iwas inspired to bring other beloved New York-inspired foods to Denver including Lou’s Italian Specialties, a traditional Old World-style Italian deli and marketplace; Famous Original J’s Pizza, East Coast-style pies served from a walk-up window; and Sherry’s Soda Shoppe, a modern take on an old-fashioned soda fountain and ice cream shop.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing is smooth in hospitality….The biggest fight was and has been with the City of Denver. The City is not well run to accommodate and help small businesses the way it used to. Long confusing permitting process, unjustified code enforcement and oversight. It has traumatized me and caused me to not want to open more businesses in this City. The pandemic was also a struggle and we had to close some of our restaurants. The hardest thing I have ever had to do.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Bridge and Tunnel Restaurant Group?
Bridge and Tunnel Restaurant Group

VISION
To nourish the soul of America through the flavors of its immigrant stories—preserving tradition, fostering connection, and building a more compassionate, human world through food.

MISSION
At Bridge and Tunnel Restaurant Group, we celebrate the immigrant roots of American cuisine—especially those woven through New York City’s rich culinary tapestry. We serve nostalgic, honest food that carries the stories of those who came to this country in search of a better life, bringing with them gifts that shaped our communities, culture, and shared future. As a Jewish-owned business, we bring the values of tikkun olam—repairing the world—into every aspect of our work. By growing people from within, honoring heritage through food, and caring deeply for our guests and one another, we strive to create spaces that feel like home and inspire everyone to contribute their best to the world.

CORE PRINCIPLES

1. Honor Through Food
We uphold the integrity of every dish, treating food as a living story—honoring the immigrants who built this country and the recipes they carried.

2. Rooted in Jewish Values
Guided by tikkun olam, we seek to heal and uplift—through our actions, our hospitality, and our commitment to people and purpose.

3. People First
Our team is our heart. We believe in growing people—giving them real capacity, purpose, and space to lead and thrive.

4. Radical Care
To truly serve is to truly care. We see our guests, staff, and communities as whole people—worthy of kindness, curiosity, and attention.

5. Home in Every Bite
Our food brings comfort, connection, and memory. It helps people feel rooted—so they can show up fully in the world.

6. Contribution is the Goal
When we empower people to contribute—to our team, to our guests, to the world—we create something lasting and meaningful.

THE MANIFESTO

We are Bridge and Tunnel Restaurant Group, and our work is more than food. We are keepers of story and stewards of memory. We believe that the recipes we carry—and the care with which we prepare them—hold the possibility of healing, connection, and hope.

Our roots are deep in New York—the city that received millions of immigrants through Ellis Island, each person bringing a unique set of traditions, flavors, and dreams. They came to build a better life. Their food told the truth of who they were, and who they hoped to become. We honor them by cooking with integrity, staying faithful to tradition, and keeping their legacies alive on every plate.

We believe in the American story—not the sanitized one, but the one written by hands that cooked, baked, kneaded, stirred, and served. That story lives on in our kitchens.

As a Jewish-owned company, we are grounded in the values of our ancestors: that the world is broken, but it can be repaired; that people can grow if given love and purpose; that feeding someone is sacred work.

We are building something that lasts. Not just a group of restaurants, but a movement of people who care. Who care about each other. Who care about doing things the right way. Who care about building a culture that heals instead of harms.

We believe in building from within—developing our people so that they can be leaders not only in our kitchens but in their communities and homes. Our food is the gateway. Our hospitality is the vehicle. And our shared humanity is the reason.

If we serve food that feels like home, and we welcome guests like they are family, and we give our teams the chance to grow into the fullness of their being—we will have succeeded.

We are Bridge and Tunnel. We honor the past, serve the present, and shape the future—one honest plate at a time.