Who we are
Leven started with sandwiches (the kind you tell your friends about), but our plan was never to stop there. We do just about everything from scratch with fresh ingredients and zero pretension. It’s honest food made by people who actually care, and who aren’t afraid to dance a little behind the counter.
At the heart of it all is our belief in people: our team, our guests, our community. The name Leven means “to rise,” and that’s what we’re about. Rising to the occasion. Lifting each other up. Making life a little lighter one sandwich, one slice, and one glass of wine or spritz at a time.
We choose to do things the long way, baking, smoking, fermenting, roasting because when it tastes better, it feels better. And we believe feeding people well doesn’t have to be complicated or serious. It just has to be real.
Service Charge
We opened Leven Deli with three goals:
Pay higher-than-industry-average wages so our team can afford to live where they work.
Provide natural hours so our team can have a life outside the restaurant - be in bed by 10pm if they want. We know this has a huge impact on the health and wellbeing of restaurant teams.
Create a real pathway to a long-term career in the hospitality industry.
These goals guide every decision we make.
Our team works incredibly hard. They make your day, they make each other’s day, and they make ours. Without them, none of what we do would be possible.
To support these goals, we like many restaurants across the country, have implemented a 10% service charge.
Running a restaurant today is complex, and labor costs are one of the primary reasons many restaurants in our city have had to close. We believe every member of our team from bakers, prep cooks, line cooks, servers, baristas, and managers, deserves a wage that reflects their skill and hard work.
Beyond higher-than-average pay, we also provide staff free meals on days they work, weekly stipend for additional in-house purchases, and $100 birthday bonus. We also choose to pay the full Denver minimum wage of $19.29/hour without taking the tip credit offered by the city. The 10% service charge is important for our business to continue to operate and pay our team the full amount + 100% of tips.
Collecting this service charge helps us continue to provide these wages and benefits while operating sustainably as a small business.
We are deeply grateful to our guests who support this model and to every neighbor, guest, team member, purveyor, and member of our community who supports Leven Deli & Leven Supply.
Thank you,
The Leven Team