Hotel and restaurant operator Sage Hospitality Group has taken ownership of Mercantile Dining & Provision, a Denver restaurant and retail shop developed by award-winning chef and restaurateur Alex Seidel, and plans to expand the concept.
It will be operated under Sage Restaurant Concepts, which also runs dozens of other brands across the country, including Urban Farmer, Departure, and the Denver Milk Market food hall.
Seidel will join SRC as a “collaborator,” and will help to create and support other restaurants within the group.
Like Seidel, Sage is based in Denver. Both declined to provide further details about the transaction.
Mercantile opened in 2014 as part of the refurbished Union Station food hall. It also has a location at Terminal A of Denver International Airport. Sage said it would oversee renovation of the Union Station location, which is near The Crawford Hotel, also owned by Sage, as well as Sage concepts Urban Farmer, Call Me Pearl, Kachina Cantina, and The Original.
“Mercantile showcases the best of downtown Denver hospitality,” Sage Hospitality Group’s president of hotels, Daniel del Olmo, said in a statement. “Since its inception, chef Seidel and his team have consistently delivered outstanding service, innovative menus and an exceptional guest experience. We are very excited to work closely with him to thoughtfully re-launch the Denver Union Station location, grow the Mercantile brand and develop new concepts together.”
Mercantile’s culinary team is currently led by executive chef Alex Grenier. The restaurant has seating for 108 people in the dining room, chef’s counter bar, and retail space. It also has a semi-private wine room and a 75-seat patio.
“I am incredibly excited about this partnership with Sage Hospitality Group,” Seidel said in a statement. “Mercantile joining the Sage family feels like a natural fit, given our shared commitment to exceptional hospitality and culinary excellence. I have been a longtime fan, friend, and colleague of the Sage team in the Denver hospitality community, and I very much look forward to seeing how Mercantile will continue to grow and what our groups will achieve together.”
Seidel also operates Denver fine-dining restaurant Fruition, fast-casual chicken concept Chook, and a baking commissary called Füdmill. A spokesperson for Seidel said those operations would not be affected by the acquisition of Mercantile.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
