Fresh and Sustainable Products Define 99-Year-Old Seattle Fish Co.

These Colorado companies – Seattle Fish Co., Punch Bowl Social and Dependable Cleaners strut their stuff and then some, with tangible goods and real-life experiences provided to delight locals and tourists alike.

WINNER

SEATTLE FISH CO.

Seattle Fish Co. is dispelling the myth that you can't get fresh seafood in Colorado. 

"The truth is, Colorado has access to fresh seafood from all U.S. coasts and around the world," says Derek Figueroa, president of the Denver-based company. "Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, we fly and truck in fresh seafood from all over the world. That gives Colorado a huge advantage when it comes to variety and freshness of seafood."

As soon as it arrives on the receiving dock, the seafood is carefully cut and packed to order, then put on trucks to be delivered to customers across the Rocky Mountain region. The 99-year-old company has decades-old relationships with fishermen (and women) and fisheries around the world.

In addition to distributing the freshest seafood possible, Seattle Fish Co. is dedicated to fostering sustainable fishing practices in its own backyard, such as farm-raised trout in Alamosa and shrimp in Yoder, and globally, by supporting fishery improvement project. For its employees, Seattle Fish Co. established a Community Action Team to develop and track volunteer opportunities.

Each year, Seattle Fish Co. delivers nearly 15 million pounds of seafood to more than 1,400 grocers and restaurants, making it the largest seafood distributor in the area. It is able to provide customers with more sustainable seafood options than any other seafood distributor and also makes an effort to provide customers with traceability and sourcing information, such as where the fish was geographically located, when and how it was caught or harvested, and even the name of the boat and captain who caught it.

FINALISTS 

PUNCH BOWL SOCIAL

At Punch Bowl Social, consumers can play pinball, skeeball, pingpong and 1980s arcade games, eat scratch-made dishes and drink fresh craft beverages. In 2012, Punch Bowl Social opened in Denver, and this year will open its second Colorado location in the former air traffic control tower in Stapleton. There are also locations in Austin, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis and Minneapolis, among others.

In Denver, the store team supports the local Baker community neighborhood through beautification programs and partners with the Denver Dumb Friends League through annual events.

DEPENDABLE CLEANERS

The family-owned Dependable Cleaners began 80 years ago and now has about two dozen locations, including some with drive-through or curbside service. There is also free pickup and delivery. Dependable Cleaners is well-known for its Coats for Colorado program, in which people can donate coats in October and November. In July, the company did a tie-in with Amazon Prime Day, in which the online giant made a donation to Coats for Colorado when shoppers clicked on the Amazon Smile charity link on the Dependable Cleaners Facebook page.