The newest addition to the Tag Restaurant Group’s portfolio, Los Chingones is restaurateur Troy Guard’s take on an upscale taqueria. Located at the Denver Tech Center, this is the second installment of the restaurant chain—following its debut in downtown Denver.
Inspired by Mexican street art, the design was conceived by locally based Kimberly Timmons Interiors (KTI). Raw urban materials such as concrete, stainless steel and vintage wood accents are combined with Day of the Dead-themed wall murals to transport guests south of the border.
The key design challenge was transforming the newly built space in the mixed-use development to make it appear as though it had been there for generations. The concrete floors are treated with acid wash to give them a worn feel, while hand-trawled concrete finish is applied to drywall surfaces. Planks salvaged from railway boxcars are repurposed as the bar’s surface, while chicken wire mesh inserts separate the chef’s counter and bar area.
Pops of color are added throughout the space, where industrial lighting fixtures and wood tabletops with welded metal bases fabricated from hubcaps and rusty car parts are juxtaposed with brightly colored and patterned fabrics. Teal Lexan panels at the entrance complement the bright colors in the murals.
Los Chingones is KTI’s fourth collaboration with the Tag Restaurant Group. Past projects include Guard and Grace, Tag, and Bubu Lowry.
