Chef Mary Nguyen opened the newest location of Olive & Finch, this time located at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. The latest opening will mark the fourth of Nguyen’s “fine-casual” eateries, the first of which she launched in Uptown in 2013 after noticing a void for chef-driven, scratch-cooking casual restaurants in the city.
The new Olive & Finch, Arts Complex location features healthy and convenient fare for breakfast, brunch, lunch, happy hour and dinner. Occupying 3,590-square-feet of space at the Arts Complex, the restaurant is the first Olive & Finch location to boast a full bar. The space, designed by Xan Creative, also includes a spacious private dining area with its own A/V and patio, a welcoming mix of communal tables, low and high seating and counter space and a self-serve pastry case where guests can help themselves to signature scratch-made pastries.
“Hot off the heels of opening Olive & Finch at Denver Union Station, we’re thrilled to be doubling down on downtown with this new Arts Complex location,” Nguyen said. “We’re offering a casual environment that we hope theatregoers and nearby residents alike will find comfortable and convenient, whether they’re grabbing dinner and drinks before or after a show, meeting friends for happy hour on the patio, or popping by for a quick breakfast or lunch.”
“We can’t wait for downtown residents, visitors and theater patrons alike to experience this wonderful new amenity at the Arts Complex,” said Mark Heiser, Denver Performing Arts Complex venue director.
A proud Denver native, Nguyen is a dedicated steward of the city’s growth and development. As an entrepreneur and community advocate, she believes in harnessing the power of hospitality to bring people together and strengthen communities. She was recently honored with the 2025 Girl Scouts Women of Distinction award, which recognizes exceptional leaders who serve as role models for young women and demonstrate a deep commitment to their communities.
Beyond her success in the hospitality industry, Nguyen is deeply committed to mentorship, education, and inclusive community development. She serves as Chair of the Asian Chamber Foundation and sits on the board of the Emily Griffith Foundation—both of which support education and workforce development initiatives. In these leadership roles, she works to remove barriers to entry for historically excluded communities and champion opportunities for growth and meaningful representation in both education and leadership.
Nguyen also sits on the boards of the Colorado Asian Chamber of Commerce and Visit Denver, where she advocates for minority-owned businesses and serves on the chamber’s DEI Task Force, providing diversity training to corporations and nonprofits. Through this work, she helps organizations engage more effectively with the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community and ensures their voices are included in key economic and policy discussions. In addition, she serves on Huntington Bank’s Advisory Board, focusing on expanding access to financial resources for small businesses, driving community development, and addressing disparities through fairness and equity.
Nguyen hopes to double Olive & Finch’s footprint in the next five years by exploring both in and out-of-state opportunities and expanding its wholesale business to serve larger institutions such as airports and hospitals. The Olive & Finch Collective currently includes four locations of Olive & Finch (Uptown, Cherry Creek, Denver Union Station, and Arts Complex), Little Finch, an all-day café on Denver’s 16th Street; the recently opened Finch, on the Fly, a grab-and-go kiosk at Denver International Airport; custom baking and wholesale operations; business consulting services; and a hospitality management company.
