DENVER — With Independence Day Weekend approaching, many people are planning a backyard barbecue.
As you fire up the grill, know you're in good company with a local chipmaker that would pair perfectly with your hamburgers and hot dogs.
Dylan McSweeney and his brother Connor moved to Denver from Indiana a few years ago to carry on their family's potato chip legacy.
“Everything is done by hand,” said Dylan, co-founder of Denver Chip Company. “From the selection of the potatoes, to the slicing, to the seasoning, to the packaging. It's handcrafted and locally made.”
Denver Chip Company started in January 2019.
But, it's already bagged a lot of business in its short time.
“What makes our chip unique, and our process unique, is that we use the Idaho russet baking potato,” Dylan said. “That's a higher sugar content potato that basically results in a darker, more caramelized chip that we like to say really retains the true potato flavor.”
The chips are gluten free, and have no trans fat or preservatives.
And, the whole process from raw potato to ready-to-eat chip only takes about an hour.
“Our process is we take that Idaho russet potato, and we soak it,” says Dylan. “We get some of the starch out, and then we put it right into the fryer and season it. It's a very simple, quick process.”
We were there as a fresh batch came off the line.
“It's the real potato flavor that you're getting there, that you're not going to find in any other potato chip,” Dylan said. “It's authentic. ... We’ve only got two flavors. The original, which is your standard salted kettle chip with hints of onion and garlic. And we've got a sweet and spicy flavor which is sweet right when you bite into it, and it's got a little subtle kiss of habanero that's sneaks up on you.”
You can find them at King Soopers, Whole Foods, and Sprouts.
And, Dylan promises the chips pair well with just about anything.
“I’m not going to lie, they are fabulous with any homemade dip that you're going to whip up,” Dylan said. “In particular, I prefer the cheesy dips.”
He also said they use their friends to test out new flavors.
To check out other local companies we've featured in our newscasts, look for the "In Good Company” section of the Denver7 streaming app for your Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, or Android device.
