Gluten-free chain Just BE Kitchen expands to Boulder

BOULDER – Just BE Kitchen, a chain of gluten-free restaurants with locations in Denver’s LoHi neighborhood and the Denver Tech Center, opened quietly in Boulder in December and plans a grand-opening celebration March 13.

The Boulder location, at 2500 30th St., Unit 101, was the former site of another gluten-free restaurant, Fresh Thymes, which opened in 2013 but closed its dine-in space in 2022. Just BE took over Fresh Thymes’ 2,100-square-foot kitchen.

“We’ve long had our sights on becoming ‘the Chipotle of gluten-free dining,’ bringing allergen-free food to multiple communities,” said Jennifer Peters, who founded Just BE Kitchen, in a news release. “Our big plans for rapid yet strategic growth include opening 10 more locations across the country in five years.”

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Just BE’s menu items have no gluten, refined sugars, soy, corn, peanuts or seed oils, and also are 99% free of grain, dairy and legumes, making the food allergen friendly. Offerings include french toast sliders made with almond flour and toasted coconut; a “fulfilled burrito” with housemade gluten-free tortilla, “cheddar wiz” and choice of chili; chicken-and-dumplings dish that Guy Fieri called “legit” on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”; mixed-vegetable curry; and and shepherd’s pie with slow-roasted brisket and sweet potato whip. 

Just BE usually changes its menu twice each year, highlighting comfort foods of the season.

“I was so tired of all the ‘healthy’ menu items at restaurants being either a salad, açai bowl or a large-style protein,” Peters said. “First-time diners are frequently floored that our food is not only delicious but also anti-inflammatory and allergen free.”

Peters got her start selling her homemade products at farmers markets before opening a brick-and-mortar location in 2017 at 2364 15th St. She opened the Tech Center location in 2022 at 5370 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., suite 107, adjoining Holidaily Brewing Co., a gluten-free brewer.

Just BE claims to be the first paleo restaurant in Colorado and the only 100% paleo eatery to be featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

For now, Just BE’s Boulder location is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, but plans are to extend its hours to later in the day in coming months. It also plans to extend its wellness events to Boulder, focussing on educating the community on core health trends and modalities, and open a small “Mindful Market” retail section in the restaurant similar to the one in its Tech Center location, offering grab-and-go housemade pickles, ketchup, salad dressings and salsa.

The March 13 grand-opening event at the Boulder location will run all day with free gluten-free goodies, raffle prizes, wellness partners on site and more.