Chef Theo Adley Will Not Take Over the Stoves at the Squeaky Bean

On Monday, Denver's dining community was shaken by the news that acclaimed chef Max MacKissock was leaving the Squeaky Bean. MacKissock cooked at the old Squeaky Bean location in LoHi and opened the new LoDo spot to great acclaim, including a perfect four-star review from the Denver Post, a nomination in Bon Appetit's 50 best new restaurants, and a James Beard semi-finalist nod in the Best Chef Southwest category. The Squeaky Bean was also named Eater Restaurant of the Year and Max MacKissock was named Eater Chef of the Year.

In the scramble before MacKissock's departure, one that will include other key staff members, one name that was circulated as a replacement was Theo Adley. The chef previously cooked at the Pinyon, a restaurant he owned in Boulder and closed in April of 2012. Today, in a Facebook post, Adley cleared those rumors and denied that he will start cooking at the Bean.

Here's what Adley shared:

Despite the rumors circulating, I will not be joining The Squeaky Bean team. I have nothing but respect for all the amazing work Johnny Beans, Stephen Gallic and Max MacKissock to push Colorado dining further, but at this juncture it would not be the right fit for me. I thank them all for considering me a suitable replacement for Chef Max, which is in and of itself very humbling and a great honor. I can't wait to be a part of colorado dining again and i thank everyone for their kind words of support during this decision making process.

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· Denver Chefs Recognized as James Beard Semi-Finalists [EDen]
· The Squeaky Bean Among Bon Appetit's 50 Best New Restaurants [EDen]
· Squeaky Bean in LoDo Wows Crowds With Stylish Room, Big Flavors [DP]