A self-taught chef and prominent member of Denver’s culinary community for more than two decades, Mary Nguyen began her career in the hospitality industry at Denver restaurants The Beehive and Hapa Sushi, where she earned the distinction of being the only female executive sushi chef in North America at the time. After honing her skills in the kitchen, Nguyen struck out on her own in 2005 and opened acclaimed Vietnamese-French bistro, Parallel Seventeen, along with Asian concept, Street Kitchen, in 2011. Noticing a void for healthful and affordable dining options in Denver, in 2013, Nguyen launched the first location of award-winning fine-casual restaurant Olive & Finch in the city’s vibrant Uptown neighborhood.
With a focus on thoughtful, chef-driven fare, she would go on to expand the Olive & Finch footprint in 2017 with the debut of a second Olive & Finch location in Cherry Creek and the opening of Little Finch, an all-day café on Denver’s 16th Street Mall. Nguyen’s three concepts, along with custom baking and wholesale operations, make up Olive & Finch Collective, which she operates as chef and founder.
One of Denver’s most notable BIPOC chefs, Nguyen was featured in “The Empowerment Project” created by Emmy-Award-winning filmmakers, showcasing the success stories of 17 hard-working women from across the U.S. Nguyen serves on the board of the Asian Chamber of Commerce and is active with Visit Denver and Junior Achievement Rocky Mountain.