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Quick service Chick-fil-A comes to town

Chick-fil-A has opened a new restaurant in Denver — but this one is for quick service only.

The Atlanta-based fast food chain announced it opened a new location at 9111 E. 40th Ave. in Denver’s Central Park neighborhood on April 16 that will be the first drive-thru-only prototype in the state. The restaurant accepts drive-thru, carry out, third-party delivery and orders through Chick-fil-A’s Mobile Thru app.

This restaurant format also includes a walk-up window for carry-out and an outdoor seating patio, but no indoor seating.

The new restaurant is projected to add about 65 jobs, according to Chick-fil-A.

The restaurant opens at 6 a.m. Mondays to Saturdays. It closes at 11:59 p.m. Monday to Friday and 11:45 p.m. on Saturdays. As with all Chick-fil-A restaurants, it’s closed on Sundays.

“Some of the most rewarding parts of my journey have been leading such an incredible team and building a restaurant culture rooted in care,” said franchise owner Jason Sutton. “We’re not just opening another restaurant — we’re expanding our ability to serve a community we care deeply about. I’m honored to open a second location where we can continue to steward our Team Members in leadership and growth.”

Mad Greens names new CEO

Golden-based fast casual chain Mad Greens is making a lot of changes.

The Colorado company founded in 2004 changed about 80% of its menu and its parent company Salad Collective named John Montgomery as its new chief executive officer, Mad Greens announced earlier this month.

Some of the changes are to meet changing consumer habits as people are more “selective” about how they spend, Mad Greens said in a press release, adding the refreshed menu is chef-driven and more customizable.

The menu includes a major overhaul of its salad, bowls and wraps. Some examples include the cowboy cookout steak salad featuring grilled steak tenderloin, avocado, corn, black beans, crispy onions, chipotle ranch and a barbecue drizzle; orchard salad with Fuji apples, candied pecans, cranberries goat cheese and honey balsamic vinaigrette and caesar crunch with romaine, focaccia croutons, parmesan crisps, shaved parmesan, lemon and caesar dressing.

“The better-for-you category is crowded, and competing on health claims alone isn’t a strategy anymore,” Montgomery said in a news release. “Guests want to be wowed with new flavors, premium ingredients, and food that gives them a reason to come back tomorrow.”

The new CEO returned to Salad Collective, where he was president between 2016 and 2022. Recently, he was the president and chief financial officer at Illegal Pete’s.

The Salad Collective has more than 60 restaurants across Colorado, Texas and Arizona.

Montgomery takes over after Darden Coors, who will move to Chairman of the Board of Salad Collective and work on pushing forward the Coors family’s Clayworks mixed-use district in downtown Golden.

National Western breaks ground on parking garage

Earlier this month, National Western, Colorado State University Spur and The Livestock Exchange began construction on a new parking garage.

The Legacy-Spur Parking Garage will bring 400 parking spaces to the active development of the National Western Center. It’s projected to be completed in time for the 2027 National Western Stock Show, Denver’s famous annual celebration of its agricultural and livestock industry.

The garage is set to support parking for campus partners, event attendees and year-round activities as National Western aims to increase activity at the site beyond the yearly stock show.

“This project represents a meaningful step forward as we continue to enhance the experience for everyone who visits the National Western Center campus,” said Wes Allison, president and CEO of National Western, in a news release.