One of the many benefits of living in Wash Park is that we are walking distance to the charming and inviting Blackbird Public House. This is not something we take for granted. This month we had a chance to chat with Brian and Angie Midtbo, owners of not only Blackbird, but Atticus and The Rosedale. This couple makes the impposible task of running three restaurants while raising two happy kiddos look easy.
When did you realize you wanted to be in the restaurant business?
We did not take a traditional restaurant career path. In 2012 Brian was working as a wealth manager and Angie was home with their 2 children (3 and a baby) and showing paintings at local galleries and art fairs when we made a big decision to follow a passion and began looking for an opportunity in restaurants. We met the owner of Handlebar and Boone’s Tavern who was looking for a partner and signed on, he walked us through the operations he had and we worked on evolving the locations into what we envisioned. We have since parted ways with him and have added Dave Canino as our operating partner.
It began with Atticus. We planned every detail ourselves from the décor decisions to the menu and everything in-between. It came together with a lot of hard work and dedicated staff members. We had just returned from a trip to Italy and I think that influenced a lot of decisions. Our intention was to create a café during the day that had a great cocktail program and bistro in the evening. The space is cozy and quaint with a fireplace and intimate dining room. Our goal is for people to feel that it is a place they can spend time with friends and neighbors and expect a relaxed atmosphere, but not have to expect lower quality or a fast casual approach. Some of our favorite times personally in Atticus are spent over a cup of coffee or glass of wine in the afternoon enjoying lunch.
Following Atticus we focused on Handlebar and what we wanted to do there, the nostalgic feeling everyone had for Handlebar had been lost between multiple owners and the condition of the building interior so we decided to start fresh. We have sought to listen to the neighborhood and give them more of what they want and we’re very excited for our new menu. It is the closest yet to what we envisioned when it began.
Now as the Blackbird Public House we wanted to put something in the space that offered a little higher caliber of food and also a more extensive and well thought out bar program. For years it has been the neighborhood sports bar and we felt there are already a ton of options for sports bars and fast causal in the neighborhood. What we genuinely felt was missing on the west side of the park is a neighborhood restaurant that caters to the neighborhood as it is today. A mix of young energetic professionals, families and the long time residents who were looking for something a little more refined yet casual.
And finally we focused on Boones, now The Rosedale. We wanted this space to be a neighborhood tavern, we felt like this was missing on that end of town. Many people remember it as “Fagans” so we kept a mural sign we uncovered at Atticus. This is another spot that has been a succession of dive bars and sports bars over the years. Again, there really just wasn’t anything to separate it from the numerous other places that are the same concept.
When we rebranded we decided to embrace Brian’s love of oysters completely. We actually put the oyster well in the bar and a lot of what we do is focused around this. Having one kitchen that we share with Atticus allows us to offer some fun and unique food that still feels like pub food but is filled with the same local and seasonal ingredients used next door. This has been new to the neighborhood and fun yet challenging at the same time as we introduce them to a Tavern that changes their menu frequently to keep it fresh and seasonal.
Owning three restaurants must pose many opportunities to work directly with the community.
The reward is serving the community as places to celebrate major life events as well as everyday meals. One reason we feel so passionate about the business is the belief that we contribute to business, social, intellectual and artistic side of a community, it is a thriving industry that cannot be outsourced. We truly believe restaurants are one of the last places people can go and leave their differences behind and just commune over good food and drink for a few hours. Our goal is to give people the time and space to breathe. In an era of fast casual we might be dinosaurs but we believe that getting people to slow down for a while can actually improve their lives.
How did you come up with the names for your 3 restaurants?
Atticus: We wanted the space to have a unique name and relate to our relationships and proximity to DU so we decided on Atticus from “To Kill a Mocking Bird”
Blackbird Public House: Angie came up with the name after a lot of group brainstorming and it stuck. We were deliberating between 3 names before finalizing it and following a meeting we walked out to the parking lot only to find it filled with the local black birds. It is known to the staff as “The Bird”
The Rosedale: Brian chose this name to represent the ties to the community. The Rosedale is technically in Platte Park but the intersection is at the confluence of Rosedale, Platte Park and University Park neighborhoods.
What’s your secret to keeping customers coming in?
We try to come at it from an organic approach. We know that people have lots of choices in Denver, so we try to provide that homey neighborhood feel. We try to create restaurants we would want to dine at and hope that resonates. We are not in a dining district or a high traffic area. We are neighborhood restaurants for regulars. This makes it much harder to run. You don’t get forgiven for sloppy service or a bad night in the kitchen. There isn’t a fresh batch of people rolling through the area on a regular basis. These people are our friends and neighbors and they expect to be treated as such. We keep working to win the patronage of our hood.
What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
Just about anything. We like to experiment. I have a love of cookbooks and like to try my own spin on what’s inside them. Plenty is an amazing road map for vegetarian and Sean Brock can’t go wrong. Tacos and all things Mexican are our go-tos and the kids love them. I love seafood so fish, oysters, mussels and shrimp are regulars regardless of the cuisine. You will find a lot of fresh vegetables in our food and not a lot of red meat or chicken. We forage a lot. Our son eats just about anything so it’s easy. When I go out I want casual and welcoming. I’m around food and cocktails all day. For me when I go out I just want to keep it simple and avoid the crush and trends.
What advice can you give to those who would like to open a restaurant of their own someday?
Make sure to take it slow. Learn all you can, have a plan in place with a clear concept and financial outlook. It is good to have mentors. Be patient. It takes time. Have a thick skin.
You must be a dyed in the wool entrepreneur to own a business and this is especially true of restaurants. If you love food or hospitality then work in the industry. If you love owning a business and all the highs and lows it entails and also happen to love food and hospitality than own a restaurant. It’s not for the faint of heart and you cant be afraid to fail. We all will. Some of the things we open won’t make it. That’s ok. Something we open will be a huge hit and they all will bring us satisfaction and personal growth just by owning them. It’s a beautiful business for the right person.