Root Down’s Next Chapter Reflects Denver’s Evolving Dining Landscape
DENVER, CO – As Denver’s LoHi and Highland neighborhoods continue evolving, one of the area’s longstanding culinary anchors is entering a new chapter of its own. Root Down has officially promoted Hannah Elkins to Executive Chef, introducing refreshed brunch and dinner menus while continuing the restaurant’s longtime role within one of Denver’s most rapidly transformed urban corridors.
Interior View of Root Down | Courtesy of Root Down
Founded in 2008 inside a former auto repair building, Root Down emerged during an earlier wave of reinvestment and adaptive reuse that helped reshape the surrounding neighborhood into one of Denver’s most active dining and mixed-use districts. Nearly two decades later, the restaurant is continuing to evolve alongside the city itself through updated seasonal menus and new culinary leadership under Elkins.
The restaurant operates under Denver-based employee-owned hospitality group Edible Beats, founded by Chef Justin Cucci, with the promotion reflecting the organization's collaborative and employee-driven culture. According to the restaurant team, Elkins developed within the company over several years while working closely alongside General Manager Tiffany Fain before stepping into the executive role.
The updated menus continue Root Down’s vegetable-forward and Americana-rooted approach while introducing a more refined and seasonal direction shaped by Elkins’ creative leadership. New brunch additions include the Focaccia Strata and Pork Osso Buco Benedict, while the refreshed dinner program introduces dishes such as Steelhead Crudo, Masa Birria, and Diver Scallops.
Root Down’s New Menu Items | Courtesy of Root Down
According to the Root Down team, the refreshed menus are intended to evolve the restaurant without losing the identity and nostalgia that have helped define Root Down since opening more than 15 years ago. In a statement provided by the restaurant team, Elkins said:
“My goal is to honor the trust our guests have placed in Root Down since 2008 – keeping the dishes they’ve always loved while refreshing the menu into a more hyper-seasonal, creative, and revitalized space. Just as our team continues to grow and evolve, our menus should too: more shareable, collaborative, and reflective of the community-driven spirit that has always been at the heart of Root Down and Edible Beats.”
Beyond the menu changes themselves, the transition also reflects a broader trend occurring across Denver’s urban neighborhoods, where long-established hospitality concepts are increasingly balancing reinvention with preservation as surrounding districts continue densifying and attracting new residents, visitors, and investment.
Executive Chef Hannah Elkins | Courtesy of Root Down
Guests can now experience the updated brunch menu on weekends and the new seasonal dinner menu nightly beginning at 5 p.m.
Development Team
Restaurant: Root Down
Hospitality Group: Edible Beats
Executive Chef: Hannah Elkins
General Manager: Tiffany Fain
All project information was sourced from publicly available site plans, renderings, and permitting documents.
See more behind the build on Denver’s greatest construction projects
Get a deeper dive on the who, what, when and why behind the city’s greatest construction projects with our premium member content.
Interested in sponsorship? Learn more about our sponsors and how to get involved.
All project information was sourced from publicly available site plans, renderings, and permitting documents.
3 minute read • Dutch Bros Coffee continues expanding across the Denver metro area, with three new concepts recently advancing through Denver review processes near East Mississippi Avenue, East Hampden Avenue, and Leetsdale Drive.