Denver International Airport (DEN) has celebrated the opening of three new restaurants on Concourse A: Maria Empanada, Uncle, and The Bindery.
“The opening of Maria Empanada, Uncle and The Bindery marks the latest additions to the new Concourse A-West expansion, bringing even more vibrant culinary concepts to DEN,” said Phil Washington, CEO, DEN. “Today’s celebration signifies an expansion of DEN’s dining options, providing passengers with a variety of local favourites and enhancing the travel experience for millions of annual travellers.”
Maria Empanada is a distinguished café located in Denver that specialises in authentic Argentinian empanadas, offering a diverse selection of both sweet and savoury varieties. The menu features a variety of empanadas, traditional Argentinean cookies known as alfajores, Spanish-style churros, medialunas and a full espresso coffee bar.
“This is a dream come true, for me and for the entire Maria Empanada team – being at DEN, the gateway to the world, with what we do best: our empanadas,” said Lorena Cantarovici, CEO and Founder, Maria Empanada. “This is the perfect marriage: empanadas and an airport. Empanadas were practically made for airport life – easy to carry, no utensils needed and packed perfectly to keep warm.”
Uncle is a Denver-based ramen shop renowned for its gourmet bowls and inventive Japanese-inspired dishes. With locations in the Highlands and West Washington Park neighbourhoods, it offers a variety of ramen options, including spicy chicken and duck, as well as steamed buns and yakitori skewers.
“When we opened Uncle in 2012, I never would have thought we’d be serving our food in one of the busiest airports in the world,” said Tommy Lee, Owner and Chef, Uncle. “We’re excited to help represent the local culinary scene and show people from all over the world that Denver is delicious and diverse!”
The Bindery is a New American fine dining restaurant, wine market and bakery located in Denver’s Lower Highlands (LoHi) neighborhood. It offers a diverse menu featuring dishes like chestnut honey and thyme baby back ribs, Cajun shrimp and grits, and hand-cut Bindery fries with a Middle Eastern spice mix.
“I am thrilled to represent the city of Denver and our vibrant culinary community at the airport,” said Linda Hampsten Fox, Chef and Owner, The Bindery. “With this second location of The Bindery, we intend to enhance travellers’ experiences with our dynamic beverage, wine and food offerings, bringing creativity and quality with every dish, drink and bite.”
All three of these distinct food and beverage concepts are operated by Mission Yogurt, which specialises in innovative airport and streetside dining concepts that continue to elevate the traveller’s experience at DEN.
“We’re thrilled to bring The Bindery, Uncle and Maria Empanada to Denver International Airport,” said Rod Tafoya, Founder and President, Mission Yogurt. “These beloved local favourites represent the best of Denver’s culinary scene, and we’re proud to share their unique flavours with travellers from around the world in one of the nation’s busiest airports.”
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