Troy Guard
Guard and Grace - Denver, CO
Born and raised in Hawaii, Chef Troy Guard has lived and worked across the globe, beginning his storied career in San Diego at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa. Guard moved back to Maui at the age of 21 where he met his mentor, Chef Roy Yamaguchi at the Kahana Bar and Grill. Under the tutelage of Yamaguchi, Troy traveled across Asia, opening multiple outposts over a span of eight years in Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo. While in Asia, Guard had the amazing opportunity to set off on his own and work at two of the finest hotels in the world, The Peninsula in Hong Kong and Raffles in Singapore. Guard reconnected with Roy, landing in New York to open Roy’s New York in the Downtown Business District and eventually moved on to the prestigious TAO on 57th Street. Guard put down roots in Denver, CO in 2002, and helped modern-Mexican Chef Richard Sandoval open hotspot Zengo in Riverfront Park before joining the kitchens at Nine75 and Ocean with real estate development mogul Jim Sullivan.
Guard opened his first restaurant, TAG, on Denver’s Larimer Square in 2009 which led to his opening of Mister Tuna, Crazy Love Pizza, TAG Burger Bar, Lucky Cat, TAG Raw Bar, Big Wave Taco, Sugar Mill, Tiny Giant Sushi, Rado Burgers, Grange Food Hall and FNG. TAG Restaurant Group has since narrowed their focus to four concepts over eleven restaurants including the boozy breakfast joint, HashTAG, the quick-casual, build-your-own bowl Bubu, the bold Mexican concept Los Chingones and the show-stopping, modern steakhouse, Guard & Grace. While the concepts vary wildly, throughout you will find evidence of Troy’s Hawaiian roots as well as special global touches, creatively woven into the menus.
Guard has numerous accolades and awards to his name including being voted Best Chef in Denver, awarded one of the Top Steakhouses in the Nation with Guard and Grace and named one of the “Great Regional Chefs of America” by the James Beard Foundation and most recently, Bar & Restaurant Expo’s 2023 Chef of the Year. Always giving back to his community, Guard is very active in local and national philanthropic efforts, including participation in a variety of cultural and charitable events throughout Denver.
