Daily Inspiration: Meet Clint Wangsnes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Clint Wangsnes.

Hi Clint, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I was running a restaurant downtown in Riverfront Park, while I was creating the concept of Chop Shop in my head. Once we got all the details and the business plan together we began looking for a location.

We settled on the location at Colfax and Elm 10 years ago in 2013, and built and opened our first restaurant there, in 2014. We shortly opened our second location in Lowry, then our third location opened in 2019.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been relatively smooth so far?
There are always struggles when opening a restaurant, each one of our stores had different situations. Generally, the biggest hurdles are dealing with the municipalities, both Denver and Englewood had their separate challenges.

Denver is extremely difficult to work with and get approvals and permits. The struggle with municipalities generally ends up with major blows to your budget with added costs for unplanned requirements, which extremely affects your buildout. Building a restaurant is not for the faint of heart.

Then of course with our last opening in Englewood in 2019, we were struck by the pandemic shortly after opening. Since then it has been an uphill battle of survival.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have 35 years in the restaurant industry, it has been a part of my life since the age of 13. I am a well-rounded chef who has spent lots of time working in Miami and Hawaii, with a lot of experience using tropical, and Asian ingredients.

My background stems from fine dining, and steakhouse, to Asian fusion. At Chop Shop, we specialize in taking comfort food and elevating it, and putting our global twist to it, and best of all we do this in a fast-casual setting.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Taking care of your staff is by far the most important thing any business owner can do.

Your staff is a direct reflection of your business and keeping them happy promotes longevity, and with longevity it makes them care more about what they do and the product they put out.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.coloradochopshop.com
• Instagram: @cochopshop
• Facebook: Chop Shop Casual Urban Eatery
• Twitter: @cochopshop

Image Credits
Tyler Kenyon tkenyon@pinbn.com