Mendocino Farms, a fast-casual restaurant with a focus on high-quality ingredients sourced from farmers — like fresh produce, humanely raised meats and cage free eggs — celebrated the grand opening of its first Colorado location with a longhorn parade through Denver's Cherry Creek neighborhood May 7.
The El Segundo, Calif.-based Mendocino Farms started as a family business in 2005 and in the last 20 years has grown the restaurant chain to more than 70 locations in California, Texas, Washington and Colorado. The company says it has plans for continued expansion with additional locations in Colorado and Texas as well as its first restaurant in Illinois.
Like its other locations, the Denver restaurant at 320 N. Fillmore St. features a fresh-focused menu of salads, sandwiches and soups, all of which include produce.
Mendocino Farms also offers a number of vegetarian options like The Modern Caesar salad, made with curly kale, chopped romaine, housemade superfood krunchies, shaved Parmesan cheese, red onions, grape tomatoes, avocado and lemon squeeze, as well as vegan options such as the Vegan Banh Mi sandwich that features organic baked tofu, vegan aioli, sweet chili sauce, pickled daikon and carrots, cucumbers, jalapeños, Thai basil and cilantro.
Mendocino Farms says it handpicks fresh, high-quality fruits and vegetables, partnering with family farms whenever possible, to bring its customers the best of what's in season.
“We source each ingredient with care from farmers and food artisans who share our elevated standards for quality — working locally with our neighbors, when possible,” says the Mendocino Farms website. “Those high standards include no added hormones, artificial sweeteners, food dyes, or artificial flavors and a commitment to environmental and social responsibility.”
The opening day parade brought Mendocino Farms' signature cow logo to life and offered Denverites a rare chance to see the longhorns up close, following their absence from this year's National Western Stock Show Parade due to inclement weather. The event concluded at Bromwell Elementary School, where Mendocino Farms delivered a complimentary lunch to teachers in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week.