by Genevieve Mellott
Sometimes when a hurricane hits a city, there is a tremendous outpouring of support at the outset. (Stay with me; there’s a point to this.) After a few weeks or months, the urgency wanes, and the needs drop off the national radar. That does not mean everything is back to normal. The same could be said of the wake left from 2020. Let’s not have the pandemic be the “hurricane” for our local businesses.
One way to contribute is to eat – because we all have to do it! According to the Colorado Restaurant Association, about 50% of Colorado restaurants were at risk of permanently closing in the first half of 2021. And don’t forget that many of our local food and beverage business are innovative or nontraditional, offering even more ways to support them. There are so many culinary delights in our neck of the woods! Recently, I had the pleasure of hearing from a few of our fabulous local purveyors about the direction of their businesses, and the following is what they had to say.
Company: A Cake Come True (Lisa Herrera, Owner)
Address: 11169 E-I25 Frontage Rd. Suite B, Firestone, CO 80504
Phone: (303) 834-8317
Website: www.ACakeComeTrue.com
What is your business’s goal for 2021? 2020 was a very rough year. We had to do a lot of pivoting and experimenting. As a brand-new baby business when Covid hit, we were in survival mode. But 2021 is about coming back to center. Just like coming into Spring, it’s a time for new beginnings….and possibilities. 2021 is for growth.
Which of your offerings have you particularly excited? I’m excited to continue to give the community amazing quality treats and to showcase more custom cakes. I’m also excited to put out more content for our followers.
What else should patrons know about your business? Come in and see us! Not only do we make amazing cakes, but we have cakelettes and other treats that you can walk in and check out.
Company: Butcher and The Blonde (Caitlin and Tom Brome, Owners)
Address: 515 Oak St., Frederick, CO 80530
Phone: 720 772 0196
Website: www.butcherandtheblonde.com
What is your business’s goal for 2021? To continue to serve our community and offer curbside pickup. We also would love to promote our corporate catering for local business meetings and events!!
Which of your offerings have you particularly excited? Curbside pickup, corporate/event catering, patio seating, food truck service.
What else should patrons know about your business? We work with Mountain Cowboy Brewing. Order food from us and beer or coffee from them and enjoy our food at their great location as well!!
Company: Chase’N’Smoke BBQ (Dan and Jacque Milam, Owners)
Address: Firestone, CO 80504
Phone: 303-598-2642
Website: www.cnsbbq.com
What is your business’s goal for 2021? As we continue to grow our catering business, we will also be launching our new BBQ trailer to the Carbon Valley area in April and look forward to serving more great food to larger groups of people. We look forward to bringing people together with our BBQ!
Which of your offerings have you particularly excited? We are very excited to showcase all of our unique flavors of meats and sides, but our Texas Style Brisket, Pork Belly Burnt Ends, and Coffee Rubbed tri-tip are the current crowd favorites.
What else should patrons know about your business? We are veteran-owned and locally operated and take pride in composing smoked meats, side dishes, appetizers, and desserts that are fresh, well-balanced, and tuned-up versions of the traditional favorites and more!
Company: Firestone Ranch Inc. (dba Modern Homesteading) (Loraine Klain, Owner)
Address: 10103 County Road 22, Fort Lupton, CO 80621 (5 miles east of Firestone King Soopers)
Phone: 303-243-4280
Website: modernhomesteading.co (.co is for Colorado)
What is your business’s goal for 2021? To establish an onsite farmers’ market offering locally sourced food.
Which of your offerings have you particularly excited? The opportunity to sell our homesteading surplus along with other Carbon Valley small businesses.
What else should patrons know about your business? Firestone Ranch is a working homestead established in 2017. Over the past few years, we have continuously expanded on our homesteading skills and self-sufficiency. The small businesses selling at my market are local, and they do not pay me to sell at my market.
Company: Front Range Nutrition (David Mason, Owner)
Address: 142 6th St., Frederick, CO 80530
Phone: 303-993-6815
What is your business’s goal for 2021? Our business goal is to thrive.
Which of your offerings have you particularly excited? We want to bring energy and vibrance into our community, as we need it at this time.
What else should patrons know about your business? We are a business that believes family and heart are everything. Our family has come together to build this company and to care for people around us with nutrients and laughter in these troubling times.
Company: Mead Pizza Plus (Matt McNaney, Owner)
Address: 4325 Colorado 66, Longmont, CO 80504
Phone: 970-535-0234
Website: www.meadpizzaplus.com
What is your business’s goal for 2021? My goal at Mead Pizza Plus is to continue doing what we’ve been doing for the last 18 years: making great pizza for our awesome customers!
Which of your offerings have you particularly excited? We use Grande Cheese for our pizzas and subs, and it is the absolute best!
What else should patrons know about your business? Mead Pizza Plus has been owned and operated independently by Matt McNaney since November 7, 2002. We have been serving our customers for over 18 years, and we are so grateful to be here still doing what we love. I have an amazing staff that works hard and is eager to learn every day. Without my staff, Mead Pizza Plus would not be what it is. We are not just making pizza here.
Company: Mercantile Exchange & Provisions, LLC, AKA “The Merc”
Address: 4340 Hwy 66, Mead, CO
Phone: 970-535-4066
Website: www.TheMerc.online
What is your business’s goal for 2021? The business opened in December 2020. The goal for 2021 is to continue the growth we are currently enjoying. The community has been so supportive and encouraging through these unusual times.
Which of your offerings have you particularly excited? On Fridays and Saturdays, we offer smoked meat from our butcher cases that we smoke in our Pit Boss smokers. The smokers are so versatile, we love telling people about the non-meat uses for them, especially our smoked cheesecake recipe. Additionally, who doesn’t love smoked meat? I’m always excited to share our smoked meats. And then there’s our private label coffee: Jackass Ranch. If it doesn’t put a smile on your face….
What else should patrons know about your business? First and foremost, we have fun. We want our patrons to feel like they are with family and friends, and that often includes some good-natured teasing. We try to have innovative or unusual products in stock that will enhance the home cooking experience. We love hearing how our patrons prepare the food or use the smokers they purchase from us.
Company: Mirror Image Brewing Company (Theresa & Steve Shirner, Managing Partners)
Address: 5969 Iris Pkwy. Unit C, Frederick, CO 80504
Phone: 720.445.5969
Website: www.mirrorimagebrewco.com
What is your business’s goal for 2021? Recover, & begin to thrive after last year. Theresa & Steve are realigning and refocusing efforts in off-premise beer sales, along with a better division of labor to allow Theresa more time to be creative in the brewhouse.
Which of your offerings have you particularly excited? Our exploration series with Klywood Brewing Company is high on the list as it’s allowed for a good amount of creative, limited releases to the beer rotation. We have also partnered with Classic distribution to release “Red Ridge,” our bloody beer [AKA: Bloody Mary beer or Michelada] partnership, which will hopefully be on golf courses this summer. It is just an optimistic outlook as to growth and recognition beyond the Tri-town community, which has been a huge support in these rough times.
What else should patrons know about your business? We truly just want to be known as the family-run family spot. Open and welcoming to all who want to come and enjoy some fresh pizza from the kitchen and a well-crafted beer. We strive to go beyond just pizza and beer and to make a connection with the community to share and support the growth around us.
Company: Outrageous Baking (Pamela Fletcher, Owner)
Address: 1845 Skyway Dr., Longmont, CO 80504 (not a retail location)
Phone: 303-4494-4632
Website: www.outrageousbaking.com – order online!
What is your business’s goal for 2021? To bring back the business we lost in 2020.
Which of your offerings have you particularly excited? We have four vegan, gluten-free sweetbreads that we are very excited about!
What else should patrons know about your business? We are celebrating our 15-year anniversary this year!
Company: Outworld Brewing (Brenda Fuller, Co-Owner)
Address: 1725 Vista View Dr., Longmont, CO 80504 (East Longmont)
Phone: 720-545-2337
Website: www.outworldbrewing.com
What is your business’s goal for 2021? Creating an outstanding, memorable dining and drinking experience has been and continues to be our primary focus. We deem it a privilege to serve those in Longmont and those visiting the area, and we work hard to create lasting, special memories for each guest. We will continue to build out our experiential components and Sci-fi/ Fantasy-themed events, with the goal of providing an immersive experience for those seeking it. We also plan to augment our outdoor accommodations to adapt to the new realities shaping the dining and craft beer market. Our primary focus, however, will always be first-class beer craft and culinary offerings in an environment that engages all the senses.
Which of your offerings have you particularly excited? We are brewing some new beers, some of which are in our experimental line. Some are a real departure from the traditional, true-to-type, and we are extremely excited about them. Details will be released soon.
What else should patrons know about your business? We are a family business, and we are passionate about craft beer, good food, and science fiction. We chose sci-fi/ fantasy as the foundation on which to build the unique Outworld experience. In the sci-fi world, one is able to be extremely creative with few boundaries. For us, science fiction is the perfect “canvas” to generate speculative and imaginative experiences to carry out our mission to provide great beer and great food in an engaging, all-inclusive atmosphere.
Company: Pinocchio’s Casual Italian (Annie Vick, Founder)
Address: 3768 Hwy 52, Frederick, CO 80516
Phone: 303-833-6562
Website: Eatatpinocchios.com
What is your business’s goal for 2021? To stay open… lol. Well, kinda not funny! We need to hire three servers and one baker and look to be better than ever!! We are looking into doing a Grab and Go area for quick take-out.
Which of your offerings have you particularly excited? We are doing family specials for take-out that include salad, entree, breadsticks, and a homemade dessert!
What else should patrons know about your business? It has been the hardest 12 months I’ve ever experienced in the restaurant business. Everyone’s kindness and patience are SO appreciated. We want to be a gathering place to create great memories!!
Company: Shield Maiden (Angela Peterson, Owner)
Address: 206 Fifth St., Frederick, CO 80530 (inside the new Peel storefront)
Phone: 720-340-1582
Website: coloradoshieldmaiden.com
What is your business’s goal for 2021? To have a more consistent offering of events in our local community. We did a lot of events all over Northern Colorado last summer, and we want to be here in the Tri-town area more this summer.
Which of your offerings have you particularly excited? We have moved to a new kitchen and can now offer filled donuts!!!
What else should patrons know about your business? We will be selling donuts in the morning one day a week in one of the new Peel kiosks starting in May! So you can stop by on your way to work and get a cup of ShortD’s coffee and a fresh donut for your drive.
Company: ShortD’s (Dawnn Short, Owner and locally deemed Coffee Rockstar)
Address: Frederick, Colorado
Phone: 720-352-9508
Website: shortdsbeans.com
What is your business’s goal for 2021? We actually have two goals this year; we would love to sell 1,000lbs this year for the bean business (in 2020, we did 661lbs), and we have a goal of booking/attending at least two events per month (all year) with our new mobile coffee/beverage trailer.
Which of your offerings have you particularly excited? With the recent addition of our mobile coffee/beverage trailer, we are super excited to set up in the community and provide great coffee and beverages at various locations so customers can come try our beans/coffee directly (and conveniently).
What else should patrons know about your business? ShortD’s (pronounced as one word, like shorty’s) is a local custom coffee roaster. We have a commercial coffee roasting space in Frederick, CO (licensed, inspected, and insured). Our small batch custom roasting ensures that each batch of coffee is of superior quality and roasted evenly to the desired roast profile, not mass-produced. Our roast on-demand process lets us “customize” our beans to our customers’ own specific tastes. We can do this since we roast for them, and then we log the taste profile so their beans will be the same, specifically for them, every time they order.
Company: Teriyaki Madness (Tim and Brit McCurry, Owners)
Address: 4275 City Center Rd., Firestone, CO 80504
Phone: 720-684-6484
Website: www.teriyakimadness.com
What is your business’s goal for 2021? The goal is to just improve on last year, not only sales but customer service, food, quality, and community involvement.
Which of your offerings have you particularly excited? The entire menu!
What else should patrons know about your business? We are a brother and sister-owned store. We are locals, and both of my boys are in the store as managers. Erin’s oldest daughter is starting soon, too!
Company: Wild Cider (Audrey and Dan Reagan, Owners)
Address: 11455 County Road 17, Firestone, CO 80504
Phone: 303-532-9949
Website: Wildcider.com
What is your business’s goal for 2021? Growth! We are doing big things out at the cider garden this year. We are building a new bar which is set to open at the end of May 2021. We really want to make Firestone proud this year.
Which of your offerings have you particularly excited? We are moving to 12 oz cans and rebranding. We are thrilled about our new look and cannot wait to see it out on shelves. Stay tuned! The switch is planned for May 2021!
What else should patrons know about your business? We have a passion for life, outdoor fun, and – of course, hard cider! Our goal is to be the beverage you take along on your many adventures (even if it is just to your own backyard). We are tiny, with only 4 (amazing) full-time employees, and we are super local – we manufacture our delicious cider right here in Firestone.
There you have it, in their own words. Our community has rallied, but we need to go the distance. Whenever possible, let’s support these and all of our neighborhood food and beverage companies. When we come together, we can finish rebuilding after the storm.
