Troy Guard

Born and raised in Hawaii, Chef Troy Guard spent much of his young life enjoying everything that comes with island living - long days in the sun, and catching and cooking seafood with his family. It is there, with the freshest ingredients at his fingertips, that his passion for cooking came to life. What started as a hobby for his family, quickly became his first job, making his way up the ranks from a 14 year old dishwasher to a sous chef working with his mentor, Chef Roy Yamaguchi at the Kahana Bar and Grill in Maui. Under the tutelage of Yamaguchi, Troy traveled to Asia, opening multiple outposts over a span of eight years in Hong Kong and Tokyo before landing in New York. Back stateside, Guard settled in as executive chef of hotspot TAO. These world-expanding experiences and Guard's passion for bringing happiness to others through food inspired him to set out on his own. Putting down roots in Denver, CO, Troy opened his first restaurant, TAG, in 2009 fusing Colorado ingredients with the exotic flavors he enjoyed abroad. 10 years later, TAG serves as the flagship for his now diverse restaurant portfolio. TAG Restaurant Group is currently comprised of 12 restaurants representing eight concepts, from a bubbly breakfast joint, HashTAG, to the quick-casual Bubu, to the show-stopping modern steakhouse, Guard and Grace, and everything in between. While the concepts vary wildly, throughout you will find evidence of Troy's Hawaiian roots as well as special global touches, creatively woven into the menus. In 2019, TAG Restaurant Group will make its first move out of Denver, expanding the award-winning Guard and Grace to Houston, TX.