TAG RESTAURANT GROUP SIGNS LEASE FOR G&G SURF CLUB IN DENVER TECH CENTER
Chef Troy Guard Expands the Guard and Grace Brand with a Seafood-Forward Concept Inspired by his Hawaiian Roots
DENVER, CO - TAG Restaurant Group (TRG), the Denver-based restaurant collection led by Chef Troy Guard, has signed a lease for its newest concept, G&G Surf Club, located at 8100 E. Union Ave. in the Denver Tech Center. The restaurant is slated to open in fall of 2026.
For more than a decade, Guard and Grace has become synonymous with exceptional hospitality and culinary excellence. G&G Surf Club represents the next evolution of that vision, bringing the same quality, service, and atmosphere that have made the acclaimed downtown steakhouse a Denver institution, while introducing a fresh, seafood-forward lens inspired by Chef Guard's Hawaiian upbringing and West Coast roots.
"I've always wanted to take the Guard and Grace name to the next level in Denver, and this concept feels like the perfect way to do that," said Chef Troy Guard. "I practically grew up in the ocean. I spent my first 21 years in Hawaii, Seattle and San Diego, so seafood has always been at the center of how I cook and how I think about food. G&G Surf Club allows us to celebrate those influences while staying true to everything our guests already love about Guard and Grace."
The DTC has long been on Guard's radar. He has operated Los Chingones in the neighborhood for years and first looked at the 8100 E. Union Ave. space nearly five years ago before the timing was right.
"Every restaurant I open is for the neighborhood, not for me," Guard said. "The DTC area lends itself incredibly well to this kind of concept, and after looking at the same space five years ago, it feels like serendipity that it's all coming together now."
G&G Surf Club will feature a raw bar, an open kitchen, and a spacious patio, with a footprint comparable to the downtown Guard and Grace location. While seafood will take a more prominent role throughout the menu, guests can expect the prime steaks, wood-fired preparations, fresh pasta, and elevated experience that define the Guard and Grace name.
The announcement comes during a period of significant expansion for TAG Restaurant Group. In addition to G&G Surf Club, Guard and Grace is preparing to open its third location in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the highly anticipated Queensbridge Collective development in Fall 2026. The rooftop restaurant will span more than 10,000 square feet and feature multiple private dining rooms, indoor-outdoor seating, and a 2,000-square-foot terrace overlooking the Charlotte skyline. TRG is also preparing to open a new HashTAG location in Wheat Ridge during the same timeframe.
G&G Surf Club joins TRG’s portfolio of Denver concepts, which includes the modern steakhouse Guard and Grace, the bold Mexican favorite Los Chingones, the boozy brunch hotspot HashTAG, the quick-casual bowl concept Bubu, and the chic cocktail bar Done Deal. G&G Surf Club stands as another example of the company's commitment to creating memorable experiences rooted in hospitality, innovation, and authenticity.
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About Chef Troy Guard
Born and raised in Hawaii, Chef Troy Guard has lived and worked across the globe, from luxury hotels in Hong Kong and Singapore to celebrated kitchens in New York, before putting down roots in Denver in 2002. He opened his first restaurant, TAG, on Larimer Square in 2009, and has since grown TAG Restaurant Group into eleven locations across six concepts, including Los Chingones, Guard and Grace, HashTAG, Bubu, Done Deal, and TAG Burger Bar. Guard has been voted Best Chef in Denver, 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 honored by the MICHELIN Guide with Guard and Grace.
About TAG Restaurant Group
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 (three 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 experience 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 about producing 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.