Olive & Finch owner opening new cafe along the 16th Street Mall
![](https://www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Mary-Nguyen-horizontal.jpeg?w=1024&h=653)
Olive & Finch is getting a little sister.
Chef Mary Nguyen, owner of the casual eatery and bakery with two locations, is getting ready to open an all-day cafe specializing in takeout meals called Little Finch this winter at 1490 16th Street Mall in LoDo.
“The inspiration for this comes from the all-day bistros that are the heartbeat of European culture,” Nguyen said. “I want to offer something affordable and easily accessible, yet still chef driven.”
Nguyen opened Olive & Finch’s first location at 1552 E. 17th Ave. in Uptown in 2013 and added another in Cherry Creek in 2017. She also operates a wholesale bakery and kitchen called Olive & Finch On The Fly at 4609 E. Colfax Ave. in South Park Hill.
Little Finch will offer grab-and-go meals, like salads, sandwiches and snack boxes, as well as pastries and coffee in the morning and cocktails at night. There will also be a retail section with goods from local vendors such as jams, soups and pickles.
![Little Finch is set to open in early winter this year. (Rendering provided by Xan Creative)](https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/LITTLE-FINCH_MARKETING-front-view1024_1.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1)
“I really think there’s so much change right now going on at 16th Street Mall and downtown, and I know when I’m going down in that area, there aren’t a lot of places that are quick and easy that are still chef driven and affordable,” Nguyen said. “I’ve always wanted somewhere like Little Finch to go when I’m running into a meeting or on break. There’s not a lot of options downtown, just fast food or fine dining.”
Nguyen leased the 2,500-square-foot space in February. It was previously home to a Starbucks that closed in 2020. She gutted the space and hopes to open in early winter this year with hours from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Nguyen, a 47-year-old Denver native, started Olive & Finch as a passion project. She owned two other restaurants prior: Parallel Seventeen and Street Kitchen.
“The dining scene in Denver 10 years ago was all about fine dining,” Nguyen said. “A chef-driven casual eatery was something I wanted as a consumer, and our guests really resonated with that. The first day we opened we had a line out the door, and the lines haven’t stopped since.”
Olive & Finch wholesales its packaged meals to a variety of businesses around town, including Rose Medical Center, Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center and Platte Street Mercantile.
Nguyen said she is always searching for more locations for Olive & Finch and now Little Finch and is eyeing the Denver Tech Center and downtown Denver.
This story was reported by our partner BusinessDen.
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