Bryn Athyn College Alumni Magazine Winter 2015 | Page 39

The Optimistic Onion

Micah and Tania
(Buss) Alden

LOVE & MARRIAGE
Rachel Buss (‘15) and
David Steen (‘14) married
on June 14, 2015 in the Bryn
Athyn Cathedral.
Rachel Gladish (‘14) and
Tyler Boyce married on
August 8, 2015 in the Bryn
Athyn Cathedral.
Micah Alden (’12) and
Tania Buss (’14) married on
November 28, 2015 in the
Bryn Athyn Cathedral.
In May Chara Odhner (‘06)
became engaged to Mike
Smith from Philadelphia,
PA. An October 2016
wedding is planned.

July 3rd, 2015, was the opening
day for The Optimistic Onion, a food
truck owned and operated by Tony
Griffin (’10) and his business partner,
Duncan Herder. This mobile business
makes its way around Denver,
Colorado, roving from markets to
breweries to festivals, and then back
to some more breweries. This tasty
truck has gained quite a following,
and its popularity even earned it
some airtime on a few of the Fox
Network news channels in Denver as
a featured food truck of the week.
Luckily, the fame hasn’t gone
completely to their heads, and Tony
and Duncan remain committed to
supporting good causes that they
care about. Their involvement in
fundraising efforts like those for
Nepal earthquake relief and for a
program called Zach’s Miracles keeps
them grounded and connected to
their local community while also
achieving a farther reach and impact
around the world. They also haven’t
forgotten where they come from. In a
nod to their roots, the cooks included
a Philly cheesesteak taco on their
summer menu, which was wildly
popular. They have also teamed

up with other Bryn Athyn-based
entrepreneurs and now incorporate
Bill’s Best BBQ and Mira’s Homemade
Granola into the local, seasonal,
from-scratch street fare on their
menu.
Even though The Optimistic Onion is
serving its delightful food thousands
of miles away, the concept of
community remains a central part of
the team’s mission. Building on the
support of friends and family from
home, the food truck is launching
into great success as the owners
continue to network and create more
connections in the Denver area.
Tony says, “This business