Meet Michelle Peoples | Chef and Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle Peoples and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Opening my own business has been a long time coming for me and 2023 was the year I finally decided to make it a reality. When I started my career out of culinary school it seemed like a no brainer to have my own restaurant some day, as most people early on did. However, the constant grind, lack of work life balance and the looming fact that 1 in 3 restaurants shuttered by year one was enough for me to doubt myself. I continued to grow in my career, working with some amazing chefs and had some awesome job opportunities and loved the ability to take breaks at times and travel. Fast forward to 2022 when I met my significant other and now business partner and everything seemed to fall into place. He was in the process of selling his 6 Jimmy Johns franchises that his brother and him had owned and operated for 13 years and I was closing down a restaurant that just couldn’t make it. After taking some time off together, we decided to give the industry another go. We wanted to be able to be in charge of our own business, make high quality food in a fast casual setting but have the ability to make our own schedule without being open 95% of the year. We found a growing trend that we could add some creativity to and represent the culture and vibe of our city.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My career has had it’s ups and downs but I try to only focus on the positive and all that I have been able to accomplish over the years. It has been over a decade since I was offered my first chef position and I’ve been fortunate enough to work with multiple celebrity chefs such as Richard Blais who has taught me so much about food and entrepreneurship. I’ve had the pleasure of opening 5 restaurants early on in my career in San Diego. Los Angeles and Las Vegas. I have been able to work on cookbooks, food styling and travel around the country participating in food and wine festivals. Over the past few years my focus has been more on management and operational. I’ve learned so much through out my time in this industry and what has become most important to me is being able to teach others what I have learned along the way. There is constantly room to grow and share in this industry and it is truly inspiring. But the most important lesson I learned was to just have fun and enjoy the journey.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The best part of having friends and family visit Denver is how diverse this city is for activities and food. I typically take my friends on hikes or skiing depending on the weather. My partner and I are pretty big sports fans so a visit will typically include an avs or nuggets game if they are playing. There are some pretty amazing cocktail bars here with unique craft made drinks. Welton room is one of my favorites for both drinks and food and they change their menu seasonally so there is always something new to try. Poko lola downtown would be a must stop for an expresso martini before hitting up Tavernetta for some of the best pasta in town. However, my go to spot when anyone is visiting is Angelos for great wine, food, staff and atmosphere. There are a lot of good sushi spots in Denver but Gofish is my regular spot with great rolls and apps. If my friends or family are lucky enough to be here on a Wednesday then we must stop at La Diabla for all day $5 margaritas that come with 2 al pastor street tacos.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people in my life I could dedicate this shout out to. I’ve been fortunate to have an amazing support system through out my career. My family has been there always through out the ups and downs mentally and financially as well as supporting my wins and achievements. They are a big reason as to why I am who I am today and why I’ve never given up. I have to also shout out my long time friend and amazing chef Scarlett Brida who not only got my first kitchen job but has helped me grow over the past decade and a half. And of course, my first Mentor, Anthony Sinsay who taught me the most important lessons early on. He taught me, as well as many others, the importance of dedication, teamwork and pure love of food. He unfortunately lost his battle with cancer in 2021 but will always be remembered for his contributions to the industry.

Website: https://www.milehighsmashburgers.com

Instagram: milehighsmashburgers

Image Credits
Kyle Bianchi