Meet Jean-Philippe & Jennifer
Since Jean-Philippe and Jennifer Failyau opened Park Burger in 2009, the restaurant has become a Platt Park institution. Not only does Park Burger offer some of the most delicious (and high quality) burgers, fries, shakes, and beer (including Colorado beer), Jean-Philippe and Jennifer also use the restaurant to host community fundraisers and outreach programs. We feel lucky to have them in our neighborhood!
We asked them to answer a few questions about their work, their family, and how Park Burger enriches our community. See our Q&A here.
How did Park Burger begin and how did it end up in Platt Park?
Prior to opening Park Burger, my husband was the chef at Mizuna. He then left to open a restaurant on Larimer Square. We lived here in Platt Park & he realized there was a need for a family friendly burger place that focused on quality ingredients. We wanted something better than fast food, and we wanted sit down service. So he opened Park Burger in the spring of 2009. We then expanded once the space next to us became available. We also have a Park Burger in the Highlands and a restaurant/bar called Park & Co. on 17th & Pennsylvania in Uptown.
How have you balanced working and living in the same neighborhood?
Working & living in the neighborhood has actually been great! We live 2 blocks from Park Burger, so the kids & I walk over to eat about once a month, but pop in frequently to say hi & the kids love that! They can see daddy & they know he is often close by. It also makes it nice for my husband, as he can pop in to the restaurant quickly if necessary -- or pop home when I need the help.
We know you do so much to enrich our community, especially our local schools. Would you mind describing some of that outreach work?
We really appreciate the support of our community & enjoy giving back. Some of the fundraising events/charitable events we've done include:
Dine out for Girl Scouts - This was a night in which a lot of restaurants in Denver joined together to help out the Girl Scouts. We did a special milkshake and donated a percentage of proceeds
Golf Tournament - Beer tasting event helping Urban Peak and Homeless Youth
Internship - We are working with homeless youth to help them find work by pairing up with Urban Peak. Homeless youth have a 6 week internship at Park Burger, where they get the chance to gain real work experience. We help them anyway we can to find work at the end.
We also have had several local elementary schools and preschools (including schools in Platt Park, Wash Park, the DU area & the Highlands) approach us about fund raising. We typically do nights in which we donate a percentage of the day's sales to the school. These events are always fun as so many families come in & the kids see friends, etc. It's always fun to help out & see people enjoy themselves at the same time. We have also donated to the Same Cafe's annual Charity Poker Tournament for the past 2 years. (Same Cafe is a nonprofit restaurant on Colfax that offers a well balanced, healthy meal to everyone, even people who can't afford to pay).
We truly enjoy serving our community through Park Burger.
How long have you two been residents of Platt Park, and how long have you been parents?
My husband, Jean-Philippe, and I have been Platt Park residents for about seven years now. We have two very fun and sweet boys, Aiden (5) & Asher (2).