In January of 1998, Dan Landes and his very pregnant wife, Michelle, were ready to open WaterCourse Foods in Denver, CO, for breakfast and lunch.

But before the first customer even walked through the door, Michelle spotted a problem—the cash register had no change. Solution? She simply ran home and grabbed the piggy bank.

The Landeses can look back on those days with humor from the vantage of growing their business acumen along with their family. Charley was born a month after opening, and Henry in 2001. The originally ahead-of-its time concept has found success in staying true to its mission: a completely vegetarian menu backed by a commitment to things that are good for people and the environment.

“The business was really just an idea that Dan had, who was vegetarian at the time. He said, ‘Let’s do this and see what happens,’” explains General Manager Chadwick Breithaupt.

WaterCourse now serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week, in a new expanded space. The adjoining WaterCourse Bakery has earned national recognition for raising the bar with vegan and gluten-free goodies, with items as familiar as Ho Ho Cupcakes and as unexpected as gluten-free Raspberry Devil’s Food Cake.

The ambiance at WaterCourse is earthy, with lots of woodwork brightened by sunny colors. Breithaupt explains that the restaurant’s name serves as a reminder that, since the earth is constantly changing, nothing is ever the same twice.

Likewise, management never hesitates to keep the menu evolving. Through trial and error, they are committed to offering only dishes that truly sell—and they have the flexibility to accommodate new direction. “We’re able to see subtle trends in dining culture and stay ahead of them.” Customers are vocal, too. “When multiple customers tell us the same thing, we listen to them,” says Breithaupt.

While Seitan Parmesan didn’t last, the overall approach has staying power. WaterCourse is consistently voted No. 1 vegetarian restaurant in Denver. Breithaupt credits the fact that the menu is designed to please even the most die-hard carnivore. The kitchen accomplishes such broad appeal by elevating the dishes with fresh ingredients, protein, extra flavor—and high standards.

Tofu is used liberally to achieve a variety of taste experiences. It’s a protein powerhouse, too. “A lot of our customers, especially vegans, are looking for whole proteins. Tofu is really awesome, you can do just about anything with it.” The bean curd is scrambled for breakfast with grilled zucchini and carrots, tomatoes, Parmesan, smoked mozzarella and cilantro pesto; blackened and served with Caesar salad in a pita; and stir-fried with veggies and peanut sauce.

Streamlining is also key to achieving menu variety. “We try to use every ingredient in more than one dish. That way, we don’t need a huge kitchen to create a huge variety of dishes,” says Breithaupt.

He also explains how, over the years, management has “become a lot more conscious of who we are in Denver, and how we can affect things. We try to bring what we feel are the best parts of Denver into WaterCourse.” That includes local ales, donating profits to a designated local charity every Monday, and offering cyclists a 10 percent discount. The result is a sense of community that everyone feels good supporting.

Dan Landes has always had a strong loyalty to Shamrock Foods Account Executive Don Carpenter. When WaterCourse moved to its expanded location three years ago, Carpenter and Shamrock rose to the challenge. “Going with Shamrock has been one of the best moves. Service is a huge draw. So is the selection—what’s great is that they’re able to bring in whatever product we need,” says Breithaupt.

For example, WaterCCCourse worked with Shamrock to source tempeh, the fermented soybean product with a nutty flavor that’s crucial to the menu. And management has confidence that the next new ingredient will be available, too. “We like to see what trends are coming, and we’ve been able to keep up with them through Shamrock.”

What will be Landes’ next big idea? Nothing can be ruled out—he just finished writing a novel for young adults! Expect any further foodservice concepts to be both ahead of their time and perfectly adaptable to the moment. And of course all cash registers will be fully loaded.

WaterCourse Foods
837 E. 17th Ave.
Denver, CO 80218
(303) 832-7313
watercoursefoods.com
Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner