Faces and Stories of Native Economic Development
A Profile on Tocabe, An American Indian Eatery
By Vicky Stott

A home away from home. That is exactly what I thought of the first time I walked into the door of Tocabe, an American Indian restaurant located in Denver, Colorado. The familiar scents of Indian frybread reminded me of my mother’s kitchen. I was struck by the gorgeous décor that blended elements of Native culture and contemporary design. I saw families sitting down together, enjoying amazing Indian cuisine and sharing stories after a long day.

As I sat down to take delight in my Indian taco, my appreciation for the beautiful food presentation lasted less than 10 seconds before I dove into the delectable taste of ground bison, hominy salsa and frybread. As I relished that taco, I remembered seeing two young Native kids sitting with their family, laughing and smiling as they ate their meals together.

Seeing those smiles made me realize that Tocabe, a name which denotes an old Osage translation for the color blue, has forever changed the lives of Native people because we now have a place we can call our own in the city. Most importantly, the owners of Tocabe, Ben Jacobs (Osage) and Matt Chandra, have shown us what it means to be successful entrepreneurs that blend a sound business model with a community-driven experience.

Based on the tremendous accomplishments of the team at Tocabe, the restaurant will be featured on the highly popular Food Network show, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” on Monday, September 12, 2011, hosted by the New York Times best-selling cookbook author and restaurateur Guy Fieri. Congratulations to Tocabe for serving as an innovative business model for Native American communities, for setting the pace and paving the path for emerging and existing Native entrepreneurs.

With my work at First Nations Development Institute, we are focused on telling stories about entrepreneurs and how they are strengthening American Indian economies. First Nations recently launched the Native entrepreneur online series to share success stories about business owners with the broader public. We are featuring Ben and Matt of Tocabe because of their vision as entrepreneurs to become the industry standard of American Indian cuisine by offering the highest quality food, service and atmosphere.

Tocabe is a wonderful example of what entrepreneurs can do when they have the resources necessary for effective business development. First Nations recognizes the work of Ben and Matt because they have created a business template that can be replicated in other Native communities. One of our goals at First Nations is to create similar opportunities and deliver the required resources for Native entrepreneurs and Native business development in American Indian communities, both urban and rural/reservation, by providing capital, training and technical assistance.

Any healthy economy needs successful business owners, and Native communities are no different. In order to have strong economies, we need entrepreneurs like Ben and Matt who not only own a business, but who are also focused on giving back. We need our entrepreneurs to be efficacious and utilize community business models that strengthen Native communities.

I recently sat down with Ben and Matt, to learn more about what has driven them to create a community-based business model. Opened in 2008, Tocabe is more than just a restaurant. It is an eatery that not only serves delicious Native American cuisine, but also educates through the food that is served and brings people together. Tocabe is a gem of a restaurant right in the heart of Denver - the crossroads to Indian Country.

Ben and Matt met while they were both students attending the University of Denver, and have remained friends since then. Ben attained a bachelor’s degree in history with a focus on American Indian studies, and Matt attained a bachelor’s degree in digital media studies. They knew that they did not want to sit behind a desk for the rest of their professional careers, so they decided to start a business together.

The idea and vision for Tocabe stems from Ben’s family, the Jacobs, who originally owned Grayhorse, a small Native American eatery located in Denver on the 16th Street Mall in the late 1980’s. The Grayhorse business model served as a precursor to Tocabe, and since 2006, the Jacobs family, along with Ben and Matt, have created an outstanding Native restaurant that incorporates traditional family recipes with modern cuisine techniques.

When asked about what Tocabe means to him, Ben shared, “Native businesses being successful, that is the most important part.” He also discussed how his work as an entrepreneur will impact future generations, “It shows our children that we can do things, too. We can go out and open things and be proud of what we do. We can create successful businesses.”

Ben also talked about the importance of supporting other Native companies, “Native people are starting to take the reins and create a future that is deserved. We understand that supporting one another is only going to help create more opportunities that are needed for Indian people.”

Matt, who loves to cook and travel the world, envisions Tocabe expanding in the future and opening more restaurants, “As we grow, we want to help individuals through micro-financing, direct partnerships or through educating individuals on how to create their own opportunities in life.” He also had this advice for emerging entrepreneurs, “Know that not every idea you have is going to be successful, but it only takes one idea for you to change the rest of your life.”

Ben and Matt recognize that their work is not done as business owners, and what they have accomplished within a few years of opening the doors to Tocabe is nothing short of a miracle. They are the epitome of what an entrepreneur can be; someone who not only has the ability to create and innovate, but also to be self-sacrificing while remaining confident amidst great challenges. Pinagigi (Thank you) to the Tocabe team for helping Native people to once again hope, dream, create and plan for the future success of Indian Country.