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Our friend and former Chef, Ashley Avila, was part of our family at Williams & Graham and Occidental. Those of us who worked alongside her will remember her talent, her heart, her humor, and the bond that comes from spending so many long days and nights together.

Most importantly, Ashley was a mother. She leaves behind two teenage daughters who are now facing an unimaginable loss.

Ashley’s family has created a GoFundMe to support her daughters in the days ahead. If you’re able to donate, please do. If you can’t, sharing it helps too.

We take care of our own. Right now, that means taking care of Ashley’s girls.

GoFundMe link in bio / story.

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We are heartbroken by the loss of our former Chef, Ashley Avila.

Ashley was an important part of both Williams & Graham and Occidental, and because of that, she will always be part of our story.

One of the things about this business is how deeply our lives become tangled together. We spend long days and late nights side by side. We struggle together. We laugh together. We piss each other off. We teach each other things and learn from each other. Somewhere along the way, we become more than people who just happened to work in the same building. We become family.

Ashley was talented, funny, determined, stubborn and passionate. She challenged us. She made us laugh. She taught us things. We cared about her deeply.

Ashley mattered to us. She still does.

Most importantly, Ashley was a mother. She leaves behind two teenage daughters who have experienced an unimaginable loss. Our hearts are with them, Ashley’s family and everyone who loved her.

We are waiting to hear from her family about how we can best support her daughters. When the time is right, Williams & Graham and Occidental will find a way to bring our community together for them, and we’ll share more here.

For now, we just want to remember our friend and our Chef.

We love you, Ashley.

Rest easy, Chef.

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Yesterday, I lost my favorite uncle.

Uncle Richie was a fucking hilarious, smartass, ballbuster of a man, and that’s where my mind goes when I think about him. Not because I’m avoiding the sadness, but because laughing is how I remember him best.

The first time he met @aspasiarising we’d only been dating five months. Before Christmas at my family’s house, I told her exactly what was going to happen. Sure enough, she walked in, Richie immediately put his arm around her, walked her into the kitchen and asked, “What are you doing with this guy?”

Fucking called it.

That was Richie. Busting my balls, but also letting Bijou know immediately that she was family.

At my dad’s bar, he could turn stealing a bite of my sandwich into an elaborate fucking heist. I knew it was coming and somehow that son of a bitch would still get me. Distractions, accomplices, whatever it took. The man was committed to the bit.

We also gave him endless shit for being the greatest front-runner in sports history. He became a Cincinnati Reds fan right around the time the Big Red Machine was winning everything. We always joked Richie’s favorite team was whoever was in first place.

But underneath all that ballbusting was a wonderful fucking guy. A great father to Tracy, Chris and Shannon, a terrific grandfather to Christian, Matthew and Connor, and an uncle I was incredibly lucky to have.

I’m playing “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” with this because it was one of his favorites. I remember it playing over and over at my grandparents’ house and Richie singing along, loudly.

It’s funny what stays with you. A stolen bite of a sandwich. A smartass comment. A song playing in a house full of family.

Those little things don’t feel so little today.

Love you, Uncle Richie. I’m going to miss the shit out of you.

And wherever you are, I hope your team is in first place.

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Hospitality doesn’t end at the bar.
We’re continuing our partnership with We Don’t Waste, collecting food and monetary donations now through the end of the year ~ helping support food security right here in Denver.

If you’re able:
• Bring non-perishable items to Williams & Graham
• Or make a donation through the link in our Instagram bio

Every contribution makes a real impact.
Thank you for helping us care for our community, one good action at a time. 🖤

#williamsandgraham #wedontwastedenver #mutualaiddenver #communitycaredenver

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We love helping care for our community.
We’re keeping the drive going with We Don’t Waste ~ collecting food and raising funds through the end of the year.

Here’s how to help:
• Drop off non-perishable food at Occidental (or W&G)
• Hit the link in our bio to donate

Small actions stack up.
Let’s keep showing up for Denver. 🖤

#OccidentalDenver #occidental_bar #wedontwaste #mutualaiddenver

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Hey Denver hospitality…tonight we show up.
At @OccidentalBar, we’re hosting a benefit to fight food insecurity in our own backyard. We’re partnering with @WeDontWaste to get food directly to families who need it most.

Bring a non-perishable food donation anytime from 4 PM to 2am, open to close, ans your first cocktail is on @WoodyCreekDistillers as a thank-you for supporting the community.

Earlier this week, we asked restaurants to clear out unused product and donate their overstock. You stepped up. Tonight, we keep that momentum going.

👊 Bartenders, servers, cooks, dishwashers, managers this is your invite.
Let’s fill some shelves, lighten someone’s burden, and remind Denver what hospitality really means.

See you tonight at Occidental.
Bring food. Make an impact.

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Hospitality is love in action ~ and sometimes that just means showing up for your city.

We’re teaming up with We Don’t Waste to help fight food insecurity here in Denver, because community care doesn’t stop when the last round’s poured.

Now through the end of the year:
• Drop off non-perishable food at Occidental or Williams & Graham
• Or make a donation through the link in our bio

Then, join us Monday, Nov. 17, 5 PM–Midnight for our Community Food Drive Event at Occidental with our friends from Woody Creek Distillers ~ a night built on good drinks, good people, and giving a damn.

Every bit counts. Let’s do some good together. 🖤

#occidental_bar #WilliamsAndGraham #WeDontWaste #WoodyCreekDistillers #DenverCommunity #DenverBars #hospitalitybusiness #CocktailsForACause #DenverEvents

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Hospitality is simply love in action.
We’re joining forces with We Don’t Waste to help care for our Denver community ~ because hospitality doesn’t stop at the bar.

Now through the end of the year:
• Bring non-perishable food items to Williams & Graham or Occidental
• Or make a donation through the linktree in our bio

Then, join us on Monday, November 17 from 5 PM to midnight for our Community Food Drive Event at Occidental with Woody Creek Distillers ~ a night of connection, cocktails, and giving back.

Every contribution helps fight food insecurity here in Denver.
Let’s do some good together. 🖤

#WilliamsAndGraham #occidental_bar #WeDontWaste #WoodyCreekDistillers #DenverCommunity #DenverBars #HospitalityInAction #denvercocktails #CocktailsForACause #DenverEvents

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Hospitality is simply love in action.
We’re joining forces with We Don’t Waste to help care for our Denver community ~ because hospitality doesn’t stop at the bar.

Now through Monday, November 17, you can:
• Bring non-perishable food items to Williams & Graham or Occidental
• Or make a donation through the link in our bio

Then, join us on Monday, November 17 from 5 PM to midnight for our Community Food Drive Event with Woody Creek Distillers ~ a night of connection, cocktails, and giving back.

Every contribution helps fight food insecurity here in Denver.
Let’s do some good together. 🖤

#WilliamsAndGraham #OccidentalDenver #WeDontWaste #WoodyCreekDistillers #DenverCommunity #DenverBars #HospitalityInAction #CocktailsForACause #DenverEvents

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This is just one way to help… It’s important to note that donating money to food banks, assistance programs and families in need is also very important, it allows them to buy exactly what they need. We will be planning a fundraiser as well.

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✨ 10 YEARS ✨
@blacnbleu and I are beyond thrilled to celebrate Occidental’s 10th anniversary today.

We’re so grateful to everyone who has worked with us over the years and helped shape this little DIY corner of Denver into what it is. To all of our friends, family, and guests, you’re the reason we’re still here a decade later.

Would love to see as many of you as possible tonight—come raise a glass with us. 🥂

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🖤 Occidental is 10!!!

This month marks a full decade of late nights, loud sing-alongs, unexpected friendships, & exactly the kind of chaos that makes a bar feel like home.
10 years of regulars becoming family, of out-of-towners walking in & instantly getting it, of making space for everyone who never quite fit anywhere else.

Here’s how it all started:

When we opened Williams & Graham in 2011, our goal was simple: create a bar that would be a true beacon for Denver ~ built with our community in mind. We caught lightning in a bottle and found immediate success.
Three years later, the space next door became available. The landlord hoped we’d expand W&G, but to us, it was already perfect. So instead, we asked ourselves:
What if we built a bar for us?
A bar that felt like home for the industry. A gathering place for our neighbors. An ode to the working-class bars I grew up in.

With Bijou’s sharp eye for design & our shared vision, Occidental came to life ~ a no-nonsense, everyone’s-welcome refuge for the service industry, a second home for East Coast expats, & a bar that bleeds our values.

But it’s never just been about us.
Over the years, the people behind the bar & the ones walking through the door have shaped this place as much as we ever did.
A bar is only as good as its team and its community, & we’re proud to be defined by both.

In the ten years since, Occidental has grown from W&G’s scrappy little sibling into a full-on partner in crime.
It carried us through the pandemic with outdoor spaces that kept us alive.
It’s stayed a safe haven for anyone who needed one.
It’s become the spot where everyone belongs & no one needs to explain themselves.

And now it’s time to celebrate.

🖤 On September 29th
We’re throwing a blowout:
• Alumni bartenders behind the stick
• Vinyl all night from our ops manager - @jababa8
• Tattoos by @adamrosenthaltattoo
• Food, drinks, & the kind of beautiful chaos you’ve come to expect from us

Here’s to ten years of wearing our hearts on our (tattooed) sleeves,
and to many more years of speaking our minds, taking no shit, & pouring one hell of a drink. #occidental_bar #denvercocktails #denverbars #latenighteats

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