It was Thursday morning, Chef Ben Roy’s “Monday,” and he was preparing for a week of double shifts. One of his staff at Tres Gringos in Nederland was out on tour with his band, fulfilling his dreams. Another was focusing their attention on getting a different kitchen up and running efficiently. Though he still had dedicated staff on deck, Chef Roy knew that the week was going to be rough.

“A lot of things on this list I can’t even do until the truck comes in,” Chef Roy said as he opened his kitchen and went over his list of duties for the day. Realizing that making queso dip was an emergency he marked “911” next to it on the white board.

“Who knows?!” He said when asked when the truck was expected to show up. “Anywhere from 9:30 to…well, sometimes it doesn’t even show up. They’ve done that to me several times,” he explained how such unreliable deliveries are to be expected as a restaurant owner in the mountains.

“Good thing I ordered a bunch of food before the weekend and have some left over, because otherwise I’d be S.O.L.”

Chefs in all restaurants across the Peak to Peak feel the crunch as the summer season of tourists extends into leaf peeping season, and it’s no different at Tres Gringos, where Chef Roy is not just Head Chef but also part owner. But what may be different is the culture of camaraderie and respect that he’s helped to create in his restaurant.

“I think the biggest asset that I bring to being a chef is understanding,” Chef Roy told The Mountain-Ear. “You have to understand that these people who work for you don’t own the restaurant, they’re not as committed, not as invested as you are. It’s not their name on the building.”

“So when someone says they need a day off, they gotta move, or they’re going on vacation, or on tour with their band, you may not like it but you have to understand that this (the restaurant) isn’t their whole life.”

In addition to understanding and empathy, Chef Roy believes in running his kitchen as a fun and open environment, where collaboration is welcomed and patience, active listening, and working shoulder-to-shoulder with his team are his tools of leadership.

“I’ve never not gone into battle on the front line for my people,” Chef Roy spoke passionately about the fearlessness it takes to work in a kitchen, and how it is its own nature of job unlike any other, which is made evident by the sense of camaraderie cultured among restaurant workers.

“We all love each other. Our kitchen is full of love. And that’s the core of it, you have to care about other people’s lives.”

“I would never just walk out of the kitchen like, ‘it’s 3 o’clock, my shift’s over, bye,’ because I would hate that. I will be in here with you and we’ll get through it together. I would never ask someone to work Friday night by themselves so I could go home to get drunk. If you need me you can count on me to be here. I’m not just going to be barking orders from miles away.”

Chef Roy has gone through the ranks of Escoffier Culinary School in Boulder and has worked in every position in a variety of kitchen environments, from the dish pit to the line. His career has taken him from the cities and into the mountains, where he’s embraced the opportunity to provide his services to the people of the place he now calls home.

When concocting his menu for Tres Gringos he aimed to blow people away with something that they hadn’t seen in a while: impactful and deeply satisfying street food in an invigorating environment that elicits smiles and margarita-fueled enthusiasm. The perfect place to celebrate one’s own mountain adventures, whether they’re a local getting off of a hard days work, or a tourist coming through town after completing a few runs at Eldora.

“One of the main things about chefs is they’re all ego driven, and that’s not the philosophy I have,” Chef Roy explained. “I have a very humble approach to being a chef. I went to culinary school and I trained under a couple of cool people, but I fully know that I’m not the greatest chef out there…I just want to serve good quality food consistently to people who are excited to eat it.”

Chef Roy demonstrates just what makes his Mexican fusion recipes so appealing and addictive: the precision and attentiveness that comes from education and experience, mixed with the empathetic need to put love and thoughtfulness into what he prepares.

“You have got to elevate it somehow and that’s the important thing.” He spoke about how rural mountain chefs need to remain inspired in their work. “Keep trying and don’t get complacent; complacency is death if you ask me. If you stop pushing, if you stop caring, then you might as well give up.”

“I think that’s one of the reasons why we’ve been so successful, we give you more than just a ‘give us your money and get out’ kind of attitude…and I hate that attitude.”

A Tres Gringos menu favorite, “That Salad” is a perfect example of how Chef Roy matches talent and skill with love and empathy. The specialty features ceviche shrimp, arugula, and cucumber, balanced with chili-lime cabbage, surrounded by avocado crema, and topped with a light drizzle of citrus olive oil.

He created the salad for his girlfriend, and now partner in ownership of Tres Gringos, Carrie Bladyka when they were working in different kitchens. Chef Roy improvised the salad from knowing Bladyka’s palate and understanding that she would be craving something different than the typical options found around town. When his shift was over Chef Roy would make Bladyka “that salad” and drive it to her as she was in the middle of her shift.

“My love language is acts of service,” Chef Roy admitted. “Like, ‘what can I do for you to show you how much I love you?’ I’m a giver, which is what makes it perfect that I’m doing what I’m doing.”

At the end of a long day, while enjoying a post-double-shift beer, Chef Roy remarked how thankful he is for Bladyka. He is thankful for her not just being as motivated as he is, as he put it, but how that motivation is helpful to him on those days where he’s feeling the most burned out from the job.

He lamented that it was rough on their relationship sometimes, having to make decisions for the benefit of their restaurant even though that decision would likely upset either one of them, or both.

But Bladyka and Chef Roy realize that Tres Gringos is more than their jobs, more than their business, it’s a second home…at least they spend enough time there for it be considered as such. And, just as any good host would, they are proud and passionate about welcoming others into their home, providing them with a good time, and finding reward in their guests’ enjoyment.

Tres Gringos is located at 20 Lakeview Drive #207, on the backside of the Caribou Village Shopping Center, and is open Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. For more information call 303-258-3170 or go to https://www.tresgringoscantina.com.