A native of Long Island, New York, Larry Herz moved to the Denver area and opened his first restaurant in 1994. For almost thirty years, he owned several restaurants and thrived in the restaurant industry before deciding to take a step back and go in a different direction. Larry noticed a void in restaurant reviews, so about seven years ago he started a new adventure as a restaurant promoter. Now, Larry comes alongside locally owned restaurants to share their stories and food with the community.
“I know a lot about the restaurant business, and I wanted to help restaurants by creating something that actually puts butts in seats of local restaurants,” he shared.
To do this, Larry uses social media and has hosted several shows throughout the years, including his current show on CBS called “Your Local Dish” which airs every Friday afternoon.
“I'm always trying to highlight the people in the industry because I think those are interesting stories and they are people who rarely get recognized,” said Larry. “I truly love meeting restaurant owners, and I always do a pre-interview with them before I eat their food to find out their story, what motivates them, and how I can help them.”
With numerous locally owned restaurants closing each week and new out-of-state chain restaurants taking their places, Larry sees firsthand the need to support local.
“I was an independent restaurant owner, and although chain restaurants have their place, I don’t promote chain restaurants,” he explained. “I want the money to stay in our community so I’m doing what I can to try and save as many local restaurants as possible. That’s what OCN stands for, Our Community Now.”
Larry promotes restaurants all over the metro area and enjoys the opportunity to spotlight Arvada restaurants. A handful of Arvada restaurants stand out in his memory.
“Randi’s Pizza made me so happy; the food was so good, and it reminded me of the neighborhood pizza shops I grew up eating at on Long Island. GB Fish & Chips is in an old house and has this great British pub vibe. They specialize in fish and chips, and I think they do a fantastic job,” he shared. “Cochino is a fun, non-traditional Mexican restaurant. They make unique dishes, and my insider tip would be to get the pork shanks. They are to die for, which you wouldn't think of in a Mexican restaurant. And you can’t go to Olde Town and not visit Rheinlander Bakery. It’s been there at least fifty years and recently got new owners. When you go in there, you feel like you are in Europe and transported in time. They make fantastic gluten free pastries. I feel like a kid in a candy store when I walk in there.”
For more information and to follow Larry’s food adventures, visit 'http://www.ocneats.com/'.
Also follow @ocn_eats and @ocn_drinks on all major social media outlets, including numerous shows on YouTube.