When Brian Murphy set out to open his first brick-and-mortar sandwich shop in Denver, he decided alcohol wouldn’t be part of the plan. Instead, he created Big Apple Bodega to be a sober space with zero-proof wine, beer, and other drinks to pair with his chopped cheese sandwiches.
“I know there is money to be made with alcohol, but I just celebrated 13 years of sobriety, and I just didn’t want to be around it and serve it,” Murphy said. “Back when I first got sober, I found it very difficult to go to restaurants, even with family and loved ones. The server and bartenders don’t know you are sober, and the first thing they say is, ‘Do you want a Margarita?’”
On the financial side, not serving alcohol can cut into profits, but Murphy said the impact isn’t actually that severe, especially since customers have shown willingness to pay for local non-alcoholic products such as Grüvi beer and wine as well as house-made mocktails. Big Apple Bodega charges $6 for beer and around $8 for a mocktail, in line with what neighboring restaurants charge for N/A options. And with the increase in people who don’t drink at all or are drinking less, Murphy’s restaurant fits right in.
“I didn’t do this because it’s the trend. I did it because it resonates with me and hits home,” Murphy said. “I didn’t want to make money off of sober people, but instead have a safe place for them and myself. But it’s awesome if it’s on trend.”
Big Apple Bodega started as a food truck about four years ago. While Murphy liked his business, he found winters in the truck didn’t work that well. So he sought something more permanent, opening his freestanding restaurant last year on May 30. While the brick-and-mortar place is doing well, fans were still reaching out to find the food truck, so now he’s operating both.
As the name suggests, Big Apple Bodega draws on influence from New York City. Murphy was born and raised on Long Island, just outside New York, and before moving to Denver he lived in the Queens neighborhood of Astoria.
“I would go to the bodega every day and get a chopped cheese, so when I decided to move here and open a food truck, I wanted an NYC concept,” he said over the phone. “A buddy asked what I would like to be known for, and I was like a chopped cheese.”
A chopped cheese sandwich is a burger patty chopped with cheese (usually American) and mixed with other fixing’s such as lettuce, tomato, and onions, all on a roll.
Big Apple Bodega’s signature menu item is The Sinatra, made with ground beef, grilled onions and melted American cheese and topped with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and ketchup. There’s also The Hudson, made with Cajun-seasoned ground beef mixed with grilled onions and mushrooms and topped with melted pepper Jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, fried onion strings and chipotle ranch sauce. Of course, Murphy also had to give a nod to his own childhood with The Long Island, made with Jamaican-jerk-seasoned ground beef and grilled red onions layered with melted mozzarella cheese, pineapple citrus slaw, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise.
Each one is $10 on a round roll, or $13 for a hero sandwich. Sides such as potato salad and crispy potato skins run $3 each, and chips and dill pickles are $2. Homemade soups are also part of the program, featuring NYC-themed bowls of Far Rockaway Chili and Creamy Fire Island Luau Soup, each $8. On the weekend Big Apple Bodega also has brunch, featuring the classic NYC breakfast staple of bacon, egg, and cheese on a roll as well as other traditional morning bodega sandwiches for $6, as well as $12 breakfast burritos.
As for making customers aware of Big Apple Bodega being a sober restaurant, Murphy said he only talks about it when it comes up. He said it can be a touchy subject, almost like religion or politics.
“We are a sober and safe place. It can really help someone and it’s near and dear to my heart,” he said, adding that he often felt that if he wanted to eat out and not be tempted by alcohol, he had to go to a fast-food restaurant.
“Here, you can come and have a good meal.”
Murphy also has plans to franchise Big Apple Bodega, and he said he’s not 100% sure if future locations will also be alcohol free, but he said he sure would like them to be.
