Sugarmill, the casual eatery built around a strong dessert program, will lose its leader as of tomorrow. Chef Noah French, who was also a partner in the business, announced that he will be departing from the RiNo restaurant that opened less than two years ago. The pastry wiz joined chef Troy Guard's team three years ago at TAG and, Guard says, he is welcome to return any time.
French explained his decision in a Facebook post:
Hello my friends!!. I wanted to announce that as of this Saturday the 12th , I will no longer be part of Sugarmill Restaurant. Much thought has gone into this decision over the last couple of months. I've had some opportunities that I would like to entertain but before I decide which path I will take ,I plan on taking some off and do a bit of traveling to see my family and friends while I weigh my options. Its been an incredible and rewarding experience being an owner of Sugarmill. For those FB friends who live in Denver and have been to the restaurant, I want to say THANK YOU for your support and I only hope that you will continue to do so. I have spent much blood,sweat and tears alongside my team to get Sugarmill where it is at and I only wish it to grow even more. Most importantly I would like to give a huge Thank You to my partner Troy Guard who 5 years ago first asked me if I would like to move to Denver to embark on this venture. It didnt take me but a few seconds to give a resounding "hell yeah!!". A decison only solidified once I flew in from Barbados for 2 days to talk and check out Denver.The only stipulation was it would have to wait 2 years until my contract in the islands was fulfilled. Those 2 years came and went and Sugarmill along with my dream was created .
Thank you to Troy for believing and investing in my pastry abilities. He has been incredibly generous and supportive during my time with Sugarmill and in my decision to leave. I look forward to continuing our 15 year friendship and wish him great success with the future of Sugarmill
I will keep you all posted with my plans.
Kelly McGeehan, who has been French's right hand since the opening, is taking the reigns of the dessert program. Guard, an owner in the business, will continue to oversee the savory side of things.
While French is leaving, Sugarmill is not slowing down. "Kelly's passion and background is cakes and we are working on expanding that. We are looking for a little spot to just make cakes in. And we have started to offer customizable plated desserts to other restaurants. We are now working with Humboldt on that and we'll work with their new spot in Cherry Creek [Blue Island Oyster Bar]"