The overhaul of East Colfax Avenue for a new bus rapid transit line has deterred pedestrians from visiting the storied strip since the groundbreaking last year, business owners say.
As a result, many East Colfax establishments are turning to solutions outside of their regular services for the duration of the construction, which is projected to last at least three years as progress moves east from Broadway in Denver to Interstate 225 in Aurora.
They are inviting car collectors and dancers to show their goods and order some tacos and lattes while they’re at it. They are participating in ceremonies for the raising of the white, cylindrical arches that are the major design feature of the BRT line’s design. They are offering deals on beer, wine and gift cards — and getting the word out on Instagram. Anything to overcome asphyxiating construction-related barricades and street closures.
As of July, work was primarily focused between Broadway and Colorado Boulevard, but it is now extending eastward. Businesses on the south side of Colfax are pressed up against the work zone; in the coming months, it’ll be the businesses on the north side.
Related: East Colfax restaurants say they are barely hanging on because of BRT line construction
“It’s kind of hard to function as a business right now because there’s so much instability in what our days will look like,” said Carrie Shores, the executive director of SAME Cafe, 2023 E. Colfax Ave., which has a pay-what-you-can model.
Municipal grants for businesses whose revenues have declined by more than 20% over a three-month span have provided some relief. So far, the city of Denver has allotted $630,000 to nearly four dozen businesses, said Shelby Morse, a spokesperson for the Denver Economic Development & Opportunity, in a statement.
Still, even subsidized shops have had to re-evaluate their sources of income.
Tommy’s Thai, 3410 E. Colfax Ave., a family-owned restaurant (The Denver Post interviewed the owner in June), received a $15,000 grant from the city’s Business Impact Opportunity Fund in late July. A few days earlier, the restaurant’s owners launched a GoFundMe campaign with a request for donations “to help us keep our doors open during this tough time.”
Coffee shop Lula Rose General Store, at 3434 E. Colfax Ave., started an online fundraiser in February and had nearly reached a goal of raising $10,000 as of August. They also received a $15,000 grant from the city, grant records show.
Le Clare’s Patisserie, at 2260 E. Colfax Ave., closed its bakery in mid-July after one year in operation. The city awarded a $15,000 grant to the business later that month; by that point, its owners had announced they would convert their space to host cooking classes and special events.
Because of its nonprofit status, SAME Cafe’s application for a grant from the Business Impact Opportunity Fund was rejected, Shores said. The organization — its name is an acronym for So All May Eat — is planning two additional fundraisers and soliciting more online contributions to make up for a 40% reduction in clientele and in-store donations, she said.
On Friday, the chef of Champagne Tiger, a newer restaurant known for its drag shows and Sunday brunches, at 601 E. Colfax Ave., will cook at the SAME Cafe cafeteria, preparing asparagus soup, vegetable risotto and braised pork belly. The idea, developed with the help of a publicist, is an example of the type of collaborations that Shores is banking on to uplift Colfax during construction.
“Partnerships, I think, are really what are going to get us through,” she said.
Chivis Tacos, at 2101 E. Colfax Ave., is partnering with a nearby auto parts store to host car shows on the Chivis property on Aug. 16 and 30.
Maria Empanada, at 2730 E. Colfax Ave., scheduled a viewing party with the project’s team to watch crews raise two nearby arches for the bus line Monday. The nighttime event — a similar one was held to commemorate an arch last month — was expected to feature vendor booths from businesses on East Colfax, tango dancing and a Colfax trivia quiz.
The Colfax Avenue Business Improvement District has also promoted creative ways to get East Colfax businesses more attention. They’ve platformed restaurants and bars on Instagram and themed events such as a dance party last month inside of Savageau Coffee and Ice Cream, on 2260 E. Colfax Ave.
Fundraising and block parties won’t speed up construction, but Shores said businesses will need to be flexible and cooperative to weather its duration.
“I raise money for a living,” Shores said. “Whereas a business, they really have to put on extra effort to make that happen.”