Odie B’s - A Recovery-Friendly Workplace

In January 2024, Tarah Runco and Emerson Killion started Behind the Apron Media with a mission to bring visibility to restaurants, chefs, and adjacent businesses that are doing significant and impactful work, essentially sharing the story "Behind the Apron." When they met Cliff and Cara Blauvelt at Odie B's, they discovered a deeper story beyond the bustling neighborhood sandwich shop.

Since opening in 2022, Odie B’s, a rowdy little sandwich shop beloved by the Denver community, serves up satisfying and soulful sandwiches for breakfast, brunch, and lunch. Turning the tables on your typical bodega, this scrappy neighborhood fast-casual joint strives to utilize only the highest quality ingredients, taking handheld sustenance from zero to hero. More than just graffiti-clad walls and a Snoop Dog bobble head, this Sunnyside favorite transcends the ordinary through both its food and growing community. With the upcoming opening of their second location in the RiNo Art District, owners Cliff and Cara Blauvelt entrusted Behind the Apron Media to share their radical story of wellness and recovery.

Working with and around alcohol daily is a trait unique to the food and beverage industry, and a contributing factor to the disproportionate rates of substance abuse among restaurant workers. Beyond their spectacular sandwiches, this spunky sandwich spot combats this disparity, serving as a safe haven of sorts for staff to be comfortable on their wellness journey and empowered to better themselves. Seventy percent of staff at Odie B’s don’t drink and are in active recovery, and have found new hope and a future within the industry. The Blauvelts are due to celebrate five years of sobriety in July, and Cliff is a Certified Peer Support Specialist through the Culinary Hospitality Outreach and Wellness Organization (CHOW).

“If we can enrich the lives of those here, we’ll be richer than if we had 10 Odie B’s,” said Cliff Blauvelt, Odie B’s co-owner.

Key Objectives:

  • Communicate the story of Odie B’s recovery-friendly workplace authentically through photography, videography, and copy

  • Craft key messaging to highlight central themes for an elevated social media strategy tailored towards Odie B’s target audience

Since working with Odie B's on the recovery-friendly video, Behind the Apron Media has created a deep relationship with the owners, assisting with menu, portrait, and mural photography for their new location in RiNo Art District (opening early 2025).

Odie B’s Sunnyside: 2651 W 38th Ave

Odie B’s RiNo: NovelRino, 1350 40th St

Interested in partnering with us to tell your story? Contact us!