Joshua Pollack’s burgeoning restaurant empire

Joshua Pollack is one of the Top 25 Young Professionals of 2021

Joshua Pollack, 37

Owner, Bridge and Tunnel Restaurant Group (BTRG) | Denver

The prospect of making people happy through food gets Joshua Pollack out of bed every morning, and it reflects one of the two pieces of advice that have shaped him as an entrepreneur.

“First, do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life,” he says. “Before I entered the restaurant business, I worked in finance and was extremely unhappy. My career today is infinitely more fulfilling, and being passionate about the work has helped me to thrive in reaching my goals.

“Second is an important lesson from my mentor, Bobby Schorr: Build a business that doesn’t need you to run it every day,” Pollack says. “The key to BTRG’s success has been assembling an incredible team of people that I truly trust to run the business as if it was their own.”

Pollack’s burgeoning empire includes Rosenberg’s Bagel and Delicatessen, Lou’s Italian Specialties, Famous Original J’s Pizza and the new Sherry’s Soda Shoppe.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Pollack has kept his employees busy and is actively hiring. Ongoing charitable commitments include the National Black Justice Coalition and Conscious Alliance, a nonprofit supporting hunger relief to communities in crisis.

His No. 1 goal: “To help create real change in food systems, particularly as it applies to the restaurant industry.”

This article is part of the ColoradoBiz’s 2021 Top 25 Young Professionals. Click here to read more about the latest class of up-and-coming movers and shakers.