A consortium of legumes
OUR TEAM
Johnny Ballen
Partner/Bean Keeper
Affectionately known as the Bean Brains, Johnny is responsible for the concept, design, eclectic wine list and general mojo that is The Squeaky Bean. A native of Denver, he studied business management at Boston College before beginning a successful food and beverage career in his hometown. He opened the original The Squeaky Bean restaurant in LoHi in 2009 and then transplanted operations to the current LoDo location in 2012. He’s a non-rehabilitated picker, collecting vintage artifacts that often end up in the restaurant (such as the 1950's Bartronic, that stopped Bill Murray in his tracks, which now serves as The Bean's host stand, and the late 1940's restored Bevador Cooler that keeps selected beers chilly behind the bar). Johnny also penned the bean-based wordplays you’ll find throughout the restaurant. It’s a gift.
Josh Olsen
Partner/Chef/Head of Farming Operations/The Bean Thumb
Josh and his Bean Acres team are responsible for a significant amount of the harvest you’ll find on your plate at The Squeaky Bean. Josh received his culinary training from The Art Institute of Colorado, and his first foray into farming began with growing backyard vegetables for Sunday dinner at Panzano. He learned biodynamic and organic farming practices while working under Jason and Erin Griffith at Aspen Moon Farm. In 2009, after becoming a partner at The Squeaky Bean, he cooked at the Bean, and gardened the 1,600-square-foot raised Squeaky Beds behind the original location. From 2012 to 2015, Josh tended a one-acre plot in Lakewood. He’s currently building a three-acre educational farm at Warren Tech, Bean Acres, which produces vegetables for the restaurant, and Union Station Farmers Market.
Darren Pusateri
Executive Chef
Executive Chef Pusateri is a veteran of the restaurant and hospitality industry, starting work at age 13 as a dishwasher in his family's south Florida restaurant. Always knowing that he wanted to become a chef, Pusateri enrolled at the Florida Culinary Institute after high school while also working as a Commis Chef at the prestigious Ritz Carlton Hotel in Palm Beach. After graduating culinary school he earned another degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Lynn University in Boca Raton, and since then, has cooked in many restaurants including the Ritz-Carlton, several of Daniel Boulud's restaurants, Frasca Food and Wine, Elway's in the Ritz-Carlton, Izakaya Den and Ototo Den, Gallo Di Nero, and most recently, TAG and Guard and Grace.
Lunch: Tue- Fri : 11am - 2pm
Dinner : Tue-Thurs : 5pm - 10pm
Dinner : Fri-Sat : 5pm - 10pm
Cocktail Hour : Daily: 2pm - 6pm, Bar, Patio and Lounge area only!
Brunch : Sat & Sun: 10am - 3pm with bingo from 12:30pm - 2pm
Closed Mondays