BY SHALEEN DESTEFANO
Old South Gaylord Street has opened it’s arms to a handful of wellness forward businesses over the years with Wellbeing, Wash Park Health, Fire Lily Accupuncture, just to name a few. And now we have The Green Collective. Just as the name hints, this clean eatery is bringing fresh, vibrant, delicious and healthy meals to the table. We were able to sit down with Owner, Allison Rifkin to learn more.
Tell us a little about your backstory. What did you do before opening The Green Collective and how did your health and wellness journey play a part in the development of your menu and overall philosophy?
I graduated from CU Boulder in 2013. My junior year of college I started to feel sluggish and run down. I went to the doctor who did not run the right labs and told me everything was fine and nothing was wrong with me. A year later I ended up in a psychiatrist’s office being put on anxiety medication. I still felt like something was off so a year after that I went to a different doctor who ran more labs and discovered I was severely hypothyroid and had autoimmune antibodies and was subsequently diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune thyroid condition. I was put on a thyroid replacement hormone but was still suffering from some of my symptoms. I found a functional medicine doctor who suggested I try cutting out gluten and dairy (which can be very inflammatory for most people with Hashimoto’s) and focus on a whole foods, organic diet. Changing my diet drastically changed how I felt and healthy cooking became a passion of mine. I quickly got off of the anxiety medication and my symptoms disappeared. I was traveling the country for work in marketing and I would go into trendy health foods cafes and have to try EVERYTHING because I was so excited that I could eat everything there and FEEL GOOD! I started to think, why don’t I open something like this in Denver? In 2019, I decided to go for it and left my career in experiential marketing to open Green Collective Lower Highlands. We opened Green Collective Wash Park in late February of 2024.
For those of our readers who have not yet been to your new eatery, what can they expect?
The Green Collective is a fast-casual breakfast and lunch eatery in the Denver Lower Highlands and Washington Park neighborhoods serving all-day breakfast, smoothies, smoothie bowls, salads, toasts, adaptogenic lattes, coffee, and tea. We believe that food should not only taste great, but make you feel even better. That is why our menu is organic whenever possible, refined sugar free, seed oil free and packed with superfoods.
At The Green Collective, we believe in a holistic approach to health and wellness. What you put on your plate is only a small piece of the puzzle. Your mental health, your relationships, your spirituality, your goals are equally as important. We never advocate for dieting or restricting. Instead, believe in sustainable lifestyle changes that make you feel your best. Healthy eating can and should be delicious, accessible, and enjoyable. We’re here to take the guesswork out of nutritious eating so that you can show up and feel great in every aspect of your life.
We love to see adaptogenic items on your menu. Can you enlighten our readers who may be unaware of the health benefits of adaptogens?
Adaptogens are different plants and mushrooms substances that help the body “adapt” against mental and physical stressors and reach homeostasis.
Do you offer catering services in addition to your restaurant?
We do! We can cater anything from small meetings to large events. We have a catering menu on our website and can always craft a custom menu for your event.
How does your work translate at home? What are some of your favorite easy and healthy meals?
I cook very similar items to our menu! At home I love making recipes that are gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free. It’s always a fun challenge to see if I can cook something that my husband has no idea is “healthy.” He still has no idea that an alfredo sauce I make is made out of cashews and no dairy!
Wash Park is a very health-conscious community, how has the neighborhood embraced you?
Wash Park has welcomed us with open arms. It has given me so much joy to meet all of our new neighbors and when they tell us that this is what the neighborhood needed, I am elated!
What can we expect from you in the future?
We are going to be rolling out special farm to table dinners at Wash Park as well as adding a few new menu items in the next couple of months. We also hope to start thinking about a third location outside of Denver.
Where is your second location for when our readers have left the bubble but still want a clean menu?
Our first location is in the Lower Highlands neighborhood at 2158 W 32nd Ave. It does have a smaller menu than Gaylord and does not have all-day breakfast but does have all of the same toast smoothies, salads, smoothie bowls, juice, coffee, and tea.
What health and wellness fads would you love to see disappear?
Restriction. I think so many foods are labeled “good” and so many are labeled “bad” and at the end of the day it’s what works best for YOU. People so often try to avoid anything labeled bad and then in turn crave it like crazy and binge on that item. Healthy living is all about balance and making it a lifestyle, not a fad. I want people to come into Green Collective and see that you CAN make all of your favorite dishes a little bit cleaner and enjoy them while still feeling great!
Thank you for sharing your story, Allison! Please check out The Green Collective at 1058 S. Gaylord St. in person, or order online at greencollectiveeatery.com.