Meet Kyle Foster of Julep in RiNo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyle Foster.

Kyle, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As a child growing up in Indiana, I often helped my Grandmother in her kitchen and garden, sprouting a love for food and a passion for hospitality. My family eventually settled in Florida, where I started working in various kitchens as a teenager. I attended culinary school in Miami, to learning the basics. I stayed in Miami to work at Talula on South Beach with Andrea Curto-Randazzo and Frank Randazzo; as well as the GastroPod with Jeremiah Bullfrog. After I did my time in Miami, I moved to Colorado in 2010 for a change of scenery. I was hired at Colt & Gray and became chef de cuisine where I implemented the whole animal butchery and charcuterie program. After leaving, I worked at Rebel Restaurant as the “meat guy”. I currently own Julep Restaurant with my beautiful wife Katy.

Has it been a smooth road?
My wife and I had a whole lot of life happening while were we opening Julep. We had our son Henry early on in planning process. Then we hit a few constructions and permitting potholes. In a rapidly growing city like Denver, the process took much longer than we expected. During this time I was diagnosed with cancer. I went through surgery and chemotherapy as our restaurant was being built. My wife Katy attended construction meetings and raised Henry as she ran her other business Stir Cooking School. She did all of this while pregnant with our daughter Lucy. Lucy was born three months before Julep opened.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Julep story. Tell us more about the business.
Julep specializes in Southern cooking. Approaching food with a southern mindset. Utilizing old recipes and techniques and applying them to ingredients from southern and local producers to create something special. We are known for our buttermilk biscuits and whole animal butchery cooked over our wood-burning hearth. I am proud of the culture we have created in our restaurant with our staff.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The restaurant market in Denver is very saturated. It’s a gamble to open a restaurant in this city. With increased costs such as rent and wages, restauranteurs are getting creative with untraditional concepts and service styles. Fast-casual is a trend I feel will continue to be popular. Ghost kitchens that are tapping into the app-based delivery market will be more prevalent as well.

Contact Info:

• Address: 3258 Larimer Street
  Denver CO, 80205
• Website: www.juleprino.com
• Phone: (303)-295-8977
• Email: info@juleprino.com
• Instagram: @Julepdenver
• Facebook: @Juleprestaurantdenver
• Twitter: @julepdenver

Image Credit:
Matt Nager – photo of Katy and I

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