With Thanksgiving coming up, we’re remembering one of Denver’s most beloved and influential residents who, for decades, utilized this holiday to feed his neighborhood and beyond. “Daddy Bruce” Randolph was a model for community-level philanthropy, offering his cooking skills and humble barbecue restaurant as an outpost for families in need across the Mile High City.
His Legacy Today: Feed-A-Family 2025
One November in the 1960s, Daddy Bruce hosted his first community Thanksgiving, dishing up free meals for anyone who needed it. The event became a yearly tradition that has continued for nearly 60 years (even after Daddy Bruce’s passing) with the annual Feed-A-Family project. Hosted now by The Epworth Foundation, volunteers assemble and deliver Thanksgiving baskets with enough food to feed a family of eight to Denverites who might not otherwise have a holiday meal.
With SNAP benefits currently in jeopardy, even more Denver families are potentially facing food insecurity this month. You can support this year’s Feed-A-Family event by donating money directly to the cause or signing up to assist with meal prep and delivery on Saturday, Nov. 22.
Who was Daddy Bruce?
Born in 1900 on a small farm in Pastoria, Arkansas, Bruce Randolph (better known locally as “Daddy Bruce”) first learned how to cook his now-famous barbecue from his formerly enslaved grandmother, Laura Hart. After years doing farmwork, mining, and other odd jobs, he found his way to the kitchen, making and selling hog sandwiches. He eventually made his way to Colorado in 1959 where his son, Bruce Randolph Jr., operated a barbershop.
The chef would begin his smoked meat legacy here, cooking and selling food out of his son’s shop until eventually opening his famous Daddy Bruce’s Bar-B-Q at 1629 E. 34th Avenue. He also went on to strike up a relationship with the Denver Broncos and become the team’s caterer — even tagging along to feed players and staff for out-of-state games.
A Spirit of Generosity
After successfully running his restaurant in Denver for nearly a decade, Daddy Bruce wanted to do more for his community. One Thanksgiving in the ’60s, he parked his food truck at City Park where he offered free, warm meals to a few hundred local families. From there, the event grew into an annual gathering. With help from community volunteers, Daddy Bruce distributed tens of thousands of free meals every Thanksgiving out of his restaurant, eventually adding a warm clothing drive to the event, a tradition that continues to this day.
Honoring His Work Today
The culinary philanthropist passed away in 1994 — hundreds in the city attended his funeral, which was paid for by Denver Broncos then-owner Pat Bowlen. But his spirit remains an integral part of Denver’s story. In 1985, the city of Denver officially christened 34th Avenue “Bruce Randolph Avenue,” and in 2010, a school in the Clayton neighborhood was also named after him. The Daddy Bruce Legacy Foundation was created to further his humanitarian work, hosting job fairs, an annual awards dinner, and more.
Special thanks to The Denver Public Library, CBS4, and History Colorado for their reporting and resources on this subject.
