Meet Sean Gafner | Owner & Chef

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

Hi Sean, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
All of three of our restaurants are committed to no single-use plastic, we purchase from local farms, ranches, dairy, distillery, brewery, etc., we only purchase, and have replaced all appliances with energy efficient Energy Star appliances, we’ve replaced all light fixtures with LEDs, we only install energy efficient windows, doors, roll-downs, etc., and we have a strict “never ever” policy with all meat and seafood that we purchase which is a list of sustainable/responsible values we hold. All three of our restaurants give 30% of our profit, from day one, to local nonprofits. We make sure that we pay every employee well above any other restaurants in the area, and we give them paid time off, and when they don’t use it and it builds up 48 hours we make them take some paid time off so that it can continue accruing. That’s not everything but its a good representation

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
From as early as I can remember I have loved to create; I would get enraptured by anything from drawing to building to cooking. I was raised on a farm and cattle ranch so when I was 18 and moved to a city and began working in restaurants, I immediately fell in love with the energy, the community, and the creativity of the restaurant industry and knew that this is what I wanted to do the rest of my life! Was it easy? LOL, everybody knows how hard this industry is, but compared to working on a farm and ranch, it didn’t feel like hard work. What was probably hardest was the harsh environment of working under egotistical chefs who certainly didn’t seem to be doing much “inner work” to become better leaders that cared about creating healthy cultures, so I would say trying to figure that out now that I have my own restaurants has been my greatest challenge. I think the staff culture we fight for, one that is valuing, respectful, and safe, is challenging but it is also something that sets us apart. All around town what I hear all of the time is how incredible our staff is and how comfortable the vibe is in our restaurants, and I believe that is the fruit of the time and energy we put towards creating this culture of honor and inclusivity.

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.
Well all three of my restaurants are in Longmont, so I’d be lying if I didn’t say we’d definitely spend some time at each of them. We also wouldn’t miss Dryland Distillery or Wibby Brewing. We’d cruise down Main Street checking out the numerous great are galleries then end the night at Quarters Bar + Arcade.

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?
Leading well is really important to us, and if I had to call out one thought-leader that has impacted us the most it would be Brenee Brown. In the fall I take a group of staff through her book Dare to Lead and that, along with her other books and podcasts has been very shaping for our company.

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Image Credits
We’ve taken all of these in house