10 Popular Restaurant Chains That Started In Denver

Denver, Colorado is a city that sits at the edge of the American West, firmly on the plains but with the majestic Rocky Mountains just beyond; it's a remarkable location, but not a place that often tops lists of culinary destinations in the U.S. There are many reasons to visit the Mile High City and the mountains beyond, but tourists typically come looking for outdoor adventure — be it skiing, hiking, mountain biking, or whitewater rafting — with good food and drink landing as a benefit rather than a focus. 

For example, there is such thing as Colorado-style pizza, though you've probably never heard of it. Snow-capped mountain vistas and massive herds of bugling elk do have a way of distracting tourists from the iconic Denver dishes on offer.

For those that can pry their eyes away from the natural beauty, however, Denver is home to many excellent restaurants. In fact, it has been the birthplace of quite a few restaurants that have since migrated out of the Centennial State and found additional homes throughout the country and around the world. While some of the chains on this list may not have made it to your hometown just yet, there will certainly be plenty that you have heard of (and likely even visited) over the years. As for those restaurants that are still unfamiliar, they are worth learning about early, as many may be just a few years away from cropping up nearby.

Perhaps the most famous restaurant on this list, one that probably no one in the U.S. could claim ignorance of, the very first Chipotle opened in Denver, Colorado back in 1993. That same store is still in operation just a few blocks down from the University of Denver, though now it is just one of over 4,000 locations spread throughout the Lower 48 and other countries such as the UK, Canada, France, Germany, the UAE, and Kuwait.

It should be no surprise that Chipotle's most direct competitors popped up in the same place. Qdoba got its start in Denver in 1995, though it was first called "Zuma Fresh," and then "Z-Teca." Qdoba may not have enjoyed quite the same degree of success as Chipotle, with just about 850 restaurants spread across the U.S. and Canada, but it's one of the top Mexican chain restaurants by location number.

Also popping up in 1995 was another Denver-based fast casual joint that would, over the years, spread well beyond the bounds of the Mile High City. Serving a variety of noodle and pasta dishes, Noodles & Company is home to some of the best mac and cheese out there, but it has struggled some in recent years. The chain closed 33 restaurants in 2025 and plans to close another 30 in 2026, though preliminary earnings numbers from 2025 look positive for the company.

Whatever was happening in the greater Denver area in 1995, it was an absolute banner year for chain restaurants in the Centennial State. Einstein Bros. Bagels also launched that year. This was not a single restaurant opening, however, but an expansion into the breakfast space from Boston Market, which itself has nearly disappeared. But the bagel offshoot is doing just fine, breaking ground with innovations like caffeinated bagels, and maintaining nearly 700 locations across the U.S.

In 2007, another chain restaurant came into the market in Denver, specializing in burgers made with patties flattened and crisped on the griddle. Smashburger got off to a tearing start, leading to 370 locations in the late 2010s. Unfortunately, expansion came too quickly, and that number wasn't sustainable for the brand. In the ensuing decade, most of those restaurants were forced to close their doors. These days, there are only around 170 Smashburger restaurants in operation.

The grandfather of this Colorado chain restaurant list, Quiznos opened its first location in Denver all the way back in 1981. Specializing in sub sandwiches and making use of some interesting marketing throughout the years, Quiznos is a chain restaurant that has struggled to make a comeback. There were once 4,700 Quiznos out there, though sadly that number is now down to just about 150. Some will put the decline down to private equity and risky decision making, though others may attribute it to the curse of the Spongmonkeys, one of the worst food brand mascots ever to exist.

For decades now, Denver has been a hotbed for fast casual restaurants. Snooze, however, is a proper sit-down brunch restaurant that first opened its doors back in 2006 and has since expanded to nearly 70 locations. With a charming retro vibe, it is also known for serving some of the best bacon out there. If you're in the mood for a flight of pancakes or sweet and spicy thick-sliced bacon drizzled with sriracha maple syrup, Snooze has you covered.

Certainly on the smaller side for the chains on this list, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh is nonetheless noteworthy. Bringing the fast casual model to Mediterranean cuisine, Garbanzo opened its first restaurant in Denver back in 2007. The company filed for bankruptcy back in 2020 but has managed to hang on to a foothold in the market. With a total tally now of around 30 restaurants, Garbanzo is well-spread across 16 states.

Similar in size to Garbanzo, but with a smaller spread, there's Tokyo Joe's; another fast casual restaurant started in Denver back in 1996. The focus of this restaurant chain is taking the fast casual model for a spin around the pan-Asian palate, offering a menu rooted in Japanese options like ramen, teriyaki, and bento boxes. It also makes room for dishes like poke, peanut noodle salads, and banh mi bowls.

Fast casual restaurants are said to have conquered (and been born from) the Colorado Front Range thanks to their ability to deliver fast, healthy, customizable food to busy, affluent customers. This perhaps nowhere more evident than MAD Greens, a 2004 debut built around salads, bowls, and wraps with plenty of, yep, greens. At present the chain only has 24 locations in three states, but with things like fibermaxxing on the expected 2026 food trends, this chain's future could be bright.