The Sink 100 Year Campaign
2022 - 2023
Savor produced a year-long centennial celebration for Boulder’s most iconic restaurant, The Sink. Savor spent over four months in strategy conversations with The Sink leadership team and settled on celebrating their anniversary with a documentary film, Museum of Boulder exhibit, community block party, and branded merchandise campaign.
Impact
Over its centennial year, The Sink 100 Year Campaign reached more than half a million people through a blend of immersive experiences and robust media storytelling. From a sold-out block party and a packed Boulder Theater premiere to a months-long museum exhibit and widespread coverage across Colorado’s top outlets, the campaign successfully celebrated a century of community, culture, and cuisine while cementing The Sink’s place in Boulder’s history.
Documentary
THE SINK: THE REST[AURANT] IS HISTORY
Savor Productions partnered with The Sink and Pixel Mill Studios to produce the documentary "THE SINK: THE REST[AURANT] IS HISTORY" as a centerpiece of the restaurant's 100th anniversary marketing campaign. The documentary premiered live at Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colorado, on June 14, 2023, drawing a sell-out crowd for a special anniversary screening, and was selected to the 2024 Boulder International Film Festival.
This 30-minute film weaves interviews with owners, staff, patrons, and celebrities like Chuck Morris and Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald to chronicle The Sink's century as a Boulder landmark on University Hill.
The film honors The Sink's enduring role amid societal changes and captures the graffiti-covered walls etched with stories of love, laughter, and community from generations of "Sink rats." The storied history of The Sink evokes deep emotional connections and through this film, the stories from generations are preserved. The producers noted overwhelming story submissions, turning it into a "heartwarming tribute" that reinforced the restaurant's status as a vital community hub, with ongoing shares amplifying its legacy.
The Sink 100 Year Block Party
Savor Productions helped The Sink bring its 100-year celebration into the streets with a high-energy community Block Party on University Hill on September 2, 2023.
The event transformed the event street around the restaurant into a lively outdoor festival, complete with music, food, and interactive moments that invited alumni, longtime locals, and current students to celebrate side by side.
The Block Party debuted as a marquee activation of The Sink’s centennial year, extending the story beyond the walls of the restaurant and into the neighborhood it has shaped for a century. It created a memorable, highly visible touchpoint for the anniversary campaign, drawing crowds who came not just to eat and drink, but to reconnect with a place that has been part of their lives for decades.
Telling The Sink’s story in this live, experiential format deepened the emotional impact of the 100-year campaign. Guests shared memories, took photos against historic backdrops, and introduced younger generations to a Boulder icon, strengthening loyalty and driving renewed word-of-mouth. The Block Party underscored what the documentary and broader campaign set out to show: The Sink isn’t just a restaurant; it’s a living, evolving community tradition.
Museum of Boulder Exhibit
Savor Productions supported The Sink in extending its centennial story into a museum setting with “The Sink: The Rest[aurant] Is History,” an immersive exhibit at the Museum of Boulder. The installation brought together archival photos, historic artifacts, original signage, and layers of guest and staff stories to showcase how a quirky campus eatery evolved into a true Boulder institution.
Debuting during the restaurant’s 100th anniversary year, the exhibit invited visitors to move through a century of culture on The Hill, from hand-painted murals and graffiti to the famous faces and everyday regulars who shaped the space over time. It served as a quieter, more reflective counterpart to the film and block party, giving people room to linger, read, and discover hidden chapters of the restaurant’s past.
By translating The Sink’s legacy into a curated, museum-quality experience, the exhibit validated its place in Boulder’s cultural history and reached audiences beyond current patrons. It sparked nostalgia, inspired former “Sink rats” to return, and preserved stories that might otherwise have been lost—cementing the idea that The Sink is not just a restaurant, but a living piece of the city’s collective memory.
