Denver Studio Has Supplied Michelin Chefs With Aprons

Melissa Roth has spent over a decade crafting custom kitchen gear for Colorado's top culinary institutions.

Updated on Oct. 7, 2026 in French Food

Screen-print poster illustration of a heavy-duty canvas apron and sewing shears on a wooden bench, evoking artisan craft design. — Union Stitch & Design, a Denver studio founded by Melissa Roth, has supplied custom canvas aprons to over two dozen Michelin-rated Colorado restaurants. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you believe shopping at local businesses significantly improves the health of your community?

For more than ten years, Denver-based Union Stitch & Design has provided custom aprons to over two dozen restaurants featured in the Colorado Michelin Guide. Owner Melissa Roth designs the canvas gear to exact chef specifications.

Why it matters

The business has become a staple for local high-end dining, outfitting professional kitchens from the Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta to the Steamboat Springs Food & Wine Festival. This long-standing connection to the professional culinary scene highlights the precise needs of chefs working in Michelin-rated environments.

Union Stitch & Design utilizes canvas cloth imported from China to create its products. The business began more than a decade ago with an initial order of 30 grey aprons.

The players

Melissa Roth

She is the owner of Union Stitch & Design and a graduate of the University of Colorado Denver.

Huong Hong

She is a professional seamstress who works with Roth to produce custom apron orders.

Union Stitch & Design

This Denver-based business specializes in custom apparel for the culinary industry.

The details

Founder Melissa Roth collaborates directly with chefs, drafting designs on paper before constructing the aprons with canvas and adjustable back straps. She operates the studio alongside seamstress Huong Hong to manage the production demands of the professional kitchen industry.

The business was started more than ten years ago.
The Colorado Michelin Guide inclusion was announced in September 2026.
The studio lease at Union Stitch & Design is set to expire in March 2027.

Culture Shift

The reliance on artisanal, custom-made kitchen gear reflects a broader trend of high-end establishments seeking bespoke tools to match the standards of the Colorado Michelin Guide. This movement emphasizes the importance of professional-grade utility in an industry increasingly focused on craftsmanship.

Consumers dining at top-tier Colorado restaurants are likely interacting with products manufactured in this Denver studio. The business is currently evaluating potential expansion plans, which may shift its production capacity by next year.

The takeaway

The evolution of this studio shows how small, specialized manufacturing businesses sustain the daily operations of prestigious professional kitchens. Investing in custom gear continues to be a hallmark of culinary excellence for chefs across the region.