Troy Guard Talks Hashtag

“Hashtag—the concept, not the name—has been in my mind for a long time,” Troy Guard says. And now, the prolific chef and restaurateur is bringing the breakfast-and-lunch-only concept to fruition. “Breakfast can be a carb and sugar fest,” he says. “Sometimes we forget that it’s supposed to give you energy and power you up for the day.”

Hashtag, which will open in Stapleton’s Eastbridge development (along with another location of Guard’s Los Chingones, Lon Symensma’s Concourse, Elise Wiggins’ Cattivella, and a new Kitchen Next Door) in the spring, will reflect Guard’s take on the morning meal. There will be plenty of creative, indulgent items—think ricotta-quinoa pancakes, lamb neck Benedict, and many plays on the hash brown—but the menu will also be feature dishes that provide good, low-carb fuel. Shaksuka (something we’ve seen on Stowaway, Black Eye Coffee, and Izzio‘s menus) and a farro-quinoa porridge are possibilities.

Nikki Guard, Troy’s wife and the beverage director for TAG Restaurant Group, is working on a menu of refreshing morning cocktails (fresh-squeezed cucumber with gin, beet juice with vodka), as well as a list of smoothies, juices, and coffees.

The 85-seat restaurant will sit next to Los Chingones and Guard hopes that once Hashtag’s kitchen has a handle on things, he’ll be able to utilize Los Chingones’ patio for Hashtag’s morning diners. That would double the seating—a boon in a busy, family-friendly neighborhood. “People can come for brunch, but it will also be a place for a family breakfast and a spot to hang out and have meetings,” Guard says.