06/20/2025
I want to take a moment to inform everyone and reflect on some major changes Ch'il is going through.
We have decided to add meat to our menu.
For those who may not know, since the beginning our food has always been 100% plants. Our mission has always been the conservation of native plant species. The current capitalist ran production of animal meat directly harms our environment, causes immense suffering of the pollinators, animals, people, water, and land - contributing to climate change which negatively impacts most native plants and the future of our children. Everything is connected.
I never wanted to be a part of the problem. When I first started Ch'il, my intention was always to help plants and people make deeper connections, and then hopefully, a deeper connection to the land around us. I did go into this very confident in my ability to make this unique model I envisioned work. Had the world not turned into chaos , I believe we might have been able to grow within my original vision.
I want to say that I am so thankful for all the support from the vegan community, those who eat heavily plant based, those who gave it a try even though it was out of their comfort zone, and everyone in between. I know that this choice will make some people very upset. I am upset. If this hurts you, if you feel let down, please know we are sincerely sorry from every fiber of our being.
We did not want to fundraise because it just felt like kicking a can down the road. We had to make changes that would bring long term viability to Ch'il. A good chunk of our income also came from community events, and I do not think that funding for those events will improve enough over the next 3 + years.
Just recently I was planting our four corners potato and marveling at how many potatoes we grew last season. All of these changes were swirling in my head, but I had a moment of calm. The work I am doing with the potatoes, with the other plants, is why I started this all in the first place. I can't lose sight of what I am trying to do. I want to bring back sustainable, ancestral foodways. This mission is separate from a vegan or plant based perspective, and this is where I had to part with my original model and try to save my life's work.
I have always been hopeful. Years in the industry have shown me cold hard facts. It just came to a moment where I had to wake up . The majority of our customers are not plant based. If I want to stay in business I have to pivot, because otherwise we would end up being one of the numerous businesses announcing their closing. It is tough out there right now, here in Colorado, for so many food businesses. I understand if you won't patron our business anymore because of your ethics. I find peace in knowing you have many options, as there are some of the best vegan food businesses in Denver. ( and I have some great recommendations just dm us )
For those who are willing to still see us when we open again 7/5 - know that we aren't changing everything. You will still have all the amazing food we have always made. We aren't adding dairy & eggs to dishes. Everything will be clearly labeled, meat will be completely separate and cooked in designated pans/utensils/storage. We are working on finding the most sustainable and humane source available of mutton, bison, elk, and fish. We still refuse to give money to factory farming so we won't add bison that has been factory farmed like cows, cow, chicken, pigs.
We have to start marketing all our menu items and some of those items will include meat. We are letting you know ahead of time so you can make the choice to unfollow us if you need to.
Ahe'hee' , thank you to all our supporters and people who understand how hard this is for me.
Narissa
