The Story

It started over a glass of wine.

In 2015, Melissa Roth sat down with her longtime friend and celebrated chef Jennifer Jasinski — the culinary force behind Rioja, one of Denver's most beloved restaurants. Jasinski had a problem: aprons had been around forever, but none of them were quite right. She wanted something that fit her style, her kitchen, and her standards. She handed Melissa a list of what she like most, and what she didn't.

The first apron was born. An order for 30 followed. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Eleven years later, Union Stitch & Design is still based in Denver, still handmaking every single apron, and still taking direction from the chefs who actually wear them. What's changed is the company Melissa keeps. Today, Union Stitch aprons are worn in Colorado's Michelin-starred and Bib Gourmand restaurants, by competitors on Top Chef and Chopped, and by the bartenders, servers, and home cooks who simply refuse to settle for something generic.

Melissa brings two decades of firsthand experience in the service industry to every apron she makes. That's not a marketing line — it means she understands the difference between an apron that looks good in a photo and one that holds up through a twelve-hour service. It means she'll execute your vision down to the last detail, whether that's a custom colorway for your opening night or an embroidered logo for your whole front-of-house team.

Everything is still handmade in Denver.