About TAG Restaurant Group
ABOUT
TAG Restaurant Group (TRG) is a Denver-based restaurant collection founded by Chef Troy Guard. TRG currently operates six concepts over eleven locations in the Denver metro area and Houston: Los Chingones (two locations), Guard and Grace (two locations), Bubu (two locations), Done Deal, TAG Burger Bar and HashTAG (two locations). In 2019, TAG Restaurant Group made its first move out of Denver, expanding the award-winning Guard and Grace to Houston, TX. TAG Restaurant Group strives to shake up your typical dining, by offering immersive culinary experiences that are deeply-rooted in and inspired by Chef Troy's life and travels. They are crafted with genuine hospitality in mind, and are never shy to produce bold, worldly flavors using local ingredients. More than the sum of their parts, TRG’s brands represent a way of life and a celebration of the unexpected. The feeling of an Ohana passionately pursuing culinary excellence is tangible.
HEADSHOTS & BIOS
About Chef Troy Guard - Owner and Executive Chef at TAG Restaurant Group
Born and raised in Hawaii, Chef Troy Guard has lived and worked across the globe, beginning his storied career in San Diego at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa. Guard moved back to Maui at the age of 21 where he met his mentor, Chef Roy Yamaguchi at the Kahana Bar and Grill. Under the tutelage of Yamaguchi, Troy traveled across Asia, opening multiple outposts over a span of eight years in Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo. While in Asia, Guard had the amazing opportunity to set off on his own and work at two of the finest hotels in the world, The Peninsula in Hong Kong and Raffles in Singapore. Guard reconnected with Roy, landing in New York to open Roy’s New York in the Downtown Business District and eventually moved on to the prestigious TAO on 57th Street. Guard put down roots in Denver, CO in 2002, and helped modern-Mexican Chef Richard Sandoval open hotspot Zengo in Riverfront Park before joining the kitchens at Nine75 and Ocean with real estate development mogul Jim Sullivan.
Guard opened his first restaurant, TAG, on Denver’s Larimer Square in 2009 which led to his opening of Mister Tuna, Crazy Love Pizza, TAG Burger Bar, Lucky Cat, TAG Raw Bar, Big Wave Taco, Sugar Mill, Tiny Giant Sushi, Rado Burgers, Grange Food Hall and FNG. TAG Restaurant Group currently has six concepts over eleven restaurants including the boozy breakfast joint, HashTAG, the quick-casual, build-your-own bowl Bubu, the bold Mexican concept Los Chingones, the chic cocktail bar Done Deal, the neighborhood hangout TAG Burger Bar and the show-stopping, modern steakhouse, Guard & Grace, and most recently, the chic cocktail bar, Done Deal. While the concepts vary wildly, throughout you will find evidence of Troy's Hawaiian roots as well as special global touches, creatively woven into the menus.
Guard has numerous accolades and awards to his name including being voted Best Chef in Denver, awarded one of the Top Steakhouses in the Nation with Guard and Grace, named one of the “Great Regional Chefs of America” by the James Beard Foundation, named Bar & Restaurant Expo’s 2023 Chef of the Year and most recently was honored by the MICHELIN Guide as a recommended restaurant with Guard and Grace. Always giving back to his community, Guard is very active in local and national philanthropic efforts, including participation in a variety of cultural and charitable events throughout Denver.