Interview with Steven Langer, proprietor
Q: How did you get involved in this business?
A: Two Penguins is the child of Panache Catering, which was started by myself and my business partner, Ernie, in 1982 and remains in the catering and event facility business as the parent company. We built the building that houses Two Penguins in 1998 and operated it as an event facility until 2015, when we decided that it would be fun to become involved in the craft beer industry, as it was something that we loved. (Unfortunately, Ernie passed away rather unexpectedly shortly after we opened). We had a great kitchen already in place and knew the food business, and loved beer. It seemed like a slam dunk to us.
Q: What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category?
A: Two Penguins is Colorado-centric. The taproom and beer hall were built using beetle-kill pine from three different regions of Colorado. We have hundreds of photographs throughout the space, every one of them taken in Colorado. All of our 36 craft taps pour beer brewed in Colorado, almost exclusively from the smaller brewers whose brews are not seen in typical chain restaurants. We get a lot of unique beers that are brewed in small quantity, known in the industry as “one offs.” We are proud to be an independent business serving the products of other small, independent businesses. We attract a very wide diversity of patrons. Unlike breweries, we offer the beers of 20 to 30 different brewers at any one time, all on tap.
Q: What do you like best about your line of work?
A: The patrons who come in because they love the fresh handmade food, and the independent feel of a non-chain restaurant and taproom. They are wonderful — warm, friendly, appreciative and loyal. I love serving them and visiting with them.
Q: What is your business’ biggest challenge?
A: Independent businesses just don’t have the marketing clout of the chains, and it takes a certain amount of time to build up the client base. That being said, we have seen very steady growth. During the month of December, we had more than 40 private events ranging from 40 guests to 350 guests in our private beer hall areas, which created incredible exposure.
Q: Something people might be surprised to learn about you or your business:
A: Having come from a very high-end catering background, my business partner and I wore tuxedos to work our events for close to 20 years. We are the “Two Penguins.” Also, when most people walk into our taproom on any one day, they only see 25-50 percent of our total space. People are shocked to find out that we can actually seat more than 500 people when we open up the entire interior of the taproom and beer hall and another 200 on our two patios.
Profile
Business: Two Penguins Tap and Grill
Address: 13065 E. Briarwood Ave., Centennial
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; Sunday for private bookings only
Founded: 1982, 2015
Contact: 303-792-0310,
Employees: 25
