How You Can Help Save Local Restaurants

What I Wish People Knew… — founder and owner of Secret Sauce Food & BeverageJosh Wolkon

Folks have shown an amazing amount of support for local restaurants over the past nine months, as we pivoted our way through the COVID-19 crisis. I’m regularly asked, “How can we help?” Thank you for asking that question, and for doing what you can to support local restaurants and bars, which are the fabric of our community.

The restaurant business has never been easy; industry pros generally thrive when challenged, but a global pandemic has no playbook and the rules have been changing daily. Restaurants and bars have the daunting task of keeping their guests safe, smiling, and fed—and our teams equally safe and employed. Do you want to know how you can help? Really help? Here’s how:

Dine out(doors) during off hours. For example, visit your favorite patio or pick up lunch at 11 a.m. or 1:30 p.m., and grab dinner to go at 4 p.m. With a mandatory 8 p.m. last call, we have fewer hours during which to serve you so it helps our staff immensely when we can spread out our busy times.

Dress warmly. If you’re eating outside, it’s winter—and it’s going to be chilly. Bundle up. Bring your own blanket, wear a warm hat, and settle in for a dining adventure. Embrace this unusual winter of outdoor dining, please! The other night at Ace [Eat Serve], it warmed my heart to see a family with young children, bundled up and happily huddled around a fire pit eating steaming bowls of ramen. I’m sure the kids will never forget that unique experience.

Order take out directly from the restaurant’s website or over the phone. We know the third-party delivery services are convenient, but they really do hurt our business. By ordering directly from the restaurant, you’ll save money by not paying delivery and packaging fees and you’re letting the restaurant keep the 15 percent commission they typically have to pay to the delivery services. Once a delivery leaves the restaurant, we have no control over how long it takes to get to you or in what shape it’s in when it arrives. You’re simply more likely to receive hot food, the way it was intended to be served, when getting delivery direct.

Order wisely. French fries or “crispy” Brussels sprouts might not be so crispy by the time you get them home. Order items you are confident will travel or reheat well. Also, your favorite menu item might not be available for take-out if the restaurant is attempting to prevent complaint calls.

Order late night takeout. Anything ordered after 9:00 p.m. is a huge help, as in-house dining has slowed without the ability to serve or purchase alcohol past 8:00 p.m.

Order additional takeout meals for tomorrow or frozen meals to stock your freezer or give to neighbors. At Steuben’s, we started selling frozen pot pies to-go and at Ace we’re selling frozen curries. Think about throwing on a salad or soup for tomorrow’s lunch. If you’ve saved any money this year in the absence of regular dining out, travel, and entertainment, please consider doubling down on your next restaurant meal.

Add cocktails to go, the way you might have ordered drinks when you were dining inside. And please keep in mind that to-go cocktails are often not iced, so the volume perception might be misleading; we are 100 percent using the same recipes that we use in-house.

Respect reservation time limits. Most local restaurants have instituted dining time limits—usually around 90 minutes—in order to maximize already limited seating. Please help us out by showing up on time, ordering quickly, and freeing up the table once you’re done.

Buy gift cards to use in the spring or summer and consider buying retail items, too. Shirts, hats, glasses, etc. make great gifts any time of year!

Stay in touch with your favorite restaurants by joining e-mail lists, checking out their websites, or following them on social channels. They’re probably doing some very cool, creative, innovative, and delicious things that you’ll learn about through their guest communication channels.

Be kind on Yelp and other online review platforms…or better yet, just hold off reviewing at all during these unusual times. Nothing we’re doing is normal right now. As always, the most appreciated feedback is the feedback we receive in person, on the spot, or via a direct phone call or e-mail through our website.

Book 2021 events now. Consider putting down deposits for summer and early fall 2021 parties and events, which will help restaurants’ cash flow over the tough winter months ahead.

Leave big tips, if you can. Your generosity goes a very long way.

Head over to 5280 to hear what a restaurant server would like everyone to know!

---

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

Search for Homes in Colorado

Search for Homes in Oklahoma

Downtown Denver Partnership Proposes Closing Some City Streets so Businesses can Expand Outside

A new proposal from one of Denver's largest business advocacy organizations suggests halting vehicle access to select streets downtown, allowing restaurants and retailers to expand their services outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter sent to Denver Mayor Michael Hancock the week of May 4, Downtown Denver Partnership requested that the city create an accelerated process to allow for business districts, as well as individual property owners and managers, to submit applications to close some streets in "key downtown and neighborhood commercial districts."

DDP says in the letter that the proposal would allow more retailers and restaurants to reopen safely with social distancing measures in place to curb the spread of the disease, acknowledging that not all restaurants and retailers have the existing space to accommodate social distancing restrictions.

Closing certain streets would also allow pedestrians to more safely keep their distance from each other, and enable other programming features such as seating or landscaping, DDP says in the letter.

Tami Door, president and CEO of DDP, pointed out that such closures wouldn't exactly be new for downtown. Denver has seen occasional closures at Larimer Square, 16th Street Mall and Glenarm Place, among others, for festivals or events.

"There's good data and history for why these are valuable," Door told Denver Business Journal.

But the latest proposal, if adopted in some form by the City of Denver, would likely take place over a longer period of time and under far different circumstances. DDP's letter to Mayor Hancock cites dire statistics for the restaurant sector, noting that Denver restaurants reported on average a 76% year-over-year drop in sales in April.

Colorado's current "safer-at-home" order mandates that restaurants and bars continue to offer food and beverages only for off-premise consumption, as they have been doing since March 17, although Gov. Jared Polis said May 11 he hopes to have in-restaurant dining by the end of the month.

Door told DBJ the recent letter was a follow-up to another letter DDP sent to the Mayor's office in mid-April to begin discussions around expanding restaurant service outside.

"Healthy ground-floor businesses create healthy neighborhoods," Door said. "I think that people understood that immediately. They certainly understood why restaurants need to thrive."

"Operating at 25% capacity of our seating is not even a consideration," Gruitch said. "It's not realistic."

"I think that's where the balancing comes into play," Door said. "You don't close every street in the city. You look at where it provides the most value comprehensively."

DDP is recommending a pilot period for the program beginning Memorial Day and lasting through Oct. 31, with allowances for a continuation beyond the pilot period in areas where it's been deemed successful. Door said that timeline is meant to align with Denver's weather, and to allow time for the program to be adjusted.

DDP is also asking the city to require each location to submit an application to establish a managing entity, provide written support from businesses in the area and give details on how the street closure would work.

To read more, go to the Denver Business Journal.

Anxiety About the End of Coronavirus Lockdown is More Common than You Think

With everyone else stuck at home, there's no FOMO to lure you out of bed for a Sunday brunch when you'd really rather sleep in.

Without a chatty co-worker at the desk next to you, your productivity is way up — and honestly, the WFH set-up is more than functional. As certain states begin to emerge from coronavirus lockdown, some people are anxious as they prepare for post-quarantine life, after finding that a quieter, slower pace at home is really working for them.

Claire, 32, is struggling with conflicting feelings of grief and joy regarding re-entry. "The thought of the world opening back up again is giving me a lot of relief, but also anxiety — it feels like I'm being forced out of this sacred nest that we’ve created here where there are no social obligations or expectations, just time to be together," she tells Bustle. She adds that post-quarantine, she'll need an adjustment period before she is ready to put anything on her calendar again.

Of course, no one wants coronavirus to keep raging across the country, necessitating continued lockdowns. But after two months in quarantine, people are starting to realize that their lifestyle and values are more aligned than ever.

Not everyone has found quarantine life to be "enlightening," and it has "exacerbated if not caused mental health symptoms" in many, Fleck says. But for those who find themselves anxious about returning to their normal lives, Fleck points to the psychological benefits of focusing on the present and learning to accept your life as it is, without judgment. "Solitude and mindfulness can be antidotes for FOMO and dis-ease," she says. These practices, Fleck adds, can temper our innate drive to keep up with what we see on Instagram.

Although forced isolation might make it easy to slow down, it's not the only way to practice mindfulness. You don't need to be in the middle of a pandemic in order to carve out time to connect with loved ones or to relax at home. "For those who find themselves reluctant to return to the unrealistic demands and sensory overload that seem to define normal life at times, my advice is simple: don't." Instead, Fleck suggests approaching post-lockdown life with intention. Pledge to turn down work-week plans or to spend weekends alone. Keep cooking or going on long walks or whatever is giving you peace right now. And as we slowly move back towards our old lives, it's important to remember that nothing will be the same. "Allow yourself to be changed by the changes you've endured," Fleck adds.

To read the full article, go to Bustle.

Related Links

• Create a more private backyard with landscaping

• New home listings were nearly cut in half in April nationwide

• Could COVID-19 become a driving force of Millennial homeownership?

Art Inspirations: Dante Perozzi

Many of us are using this alone time to tap into our creative side. We are featuring a Q+A of a local artist every week, both to show our support for artists and to inspire each other’s creative side.

Artist/Denver Creator: Dante Perozzi | Dante Perozzi Jewelry | WEARABLE SCULPTURE
info@danteperozzi.com
www.danteperozzi.com
@danteperozzijewelry
310.254.5186

**Sign up for Dante’s mailing list at danteperozzi.com for information about events, discounts & sales. Mother’s Day Gift Boxes go live next week!

1) Tell us about yourself?

Well…I come from a family of artists, so I’ve always been making things. It’s always been my belief that having been raised in an artists home and therefore being constantly exposed to creative practices I was gifted with the confidence that I could “create” anything. Between my two hands I have 7 fingers, which also forced me to creatively figure out my own ways of doing things. Creativity is where I have always shined, and I always knew that I would pursue a future in the arts.

I was born in Zimbabwe but grew up in the States. Mississippi, Louisiana, Virginia, Florida, and Charleston, South Carolina. Then Arizona and Los Angeles, CA , and now Colorado with my husband and two little boys. While studying sculpture at Cal State Long Beach, I fell in love with foundry and metal arts. I was instantly smitten and found that making jewelry felt like an outlet for me, a kind of liberation from the heady conceptual art world of sculpture. Jewelry is more light-hearted and easier to transport than brick, concrete, and resin sculptures. I discovered this love at the very end of my time in my sculpture program and so intentionally dragged out my remaining course requirements so I could take as many jewelry courses as I could. This is how my jewelry practice was began, and it didn’t take long for me to create the foundation pieces for Dante Perozzi Jewelry.

2) What are you working on right now?

As usual I am working on about 20 different things. I have a couple of custom pieces & long overdue gifts I am finishing up at the moment . I have begun the design phase for the fall collection. For my own indulgence I am making chains & playing with links of different thicknesses and sizes as I find it very meditative and rewarding to see it grow in length. I am also excited to be curating a Mother’s Day gift box from a few small women-owned local businesses! It should be available by early next week.

I am also dabbling in block printing & lino cuts. It’s something I have been wanting to try for ages but haven’t found the time. I think it is so important to detach from habitual acts and engage in other forms of making now and again. I think it helps me stay inspired.

3) Where do you find inspiration?
My first collections, Brick & CityScape were inspired by many different types of urban environments. I still have lots of family in South Africa. While touring Soweto during a visit, I saw that the people there built their homes out of old billboards, fences, tires, whatever they could make good use of. The creativity required to do what they had done—essentially making something out of nothing—really got me thinking about the idea of home and inhabited spaces. Living in Los Angeles surrounded by so many different types of architecture also reinforced my interest in construction and buildings. My jewelry designs all stem from this fascination. I have always been in love with the simplicity of shape, line & form and as in most urban environments, my work was entirely made up of hard lines and angles- which I still LOVE. But it led me to wonder if I had an aversion to working with organic forms.

So I decided to make an entire collection under the self-imposed requirement to utilize curves, circles and organic texture. I had a blast and the Curvation collection was my most successful collection at the time. Now, each new design of mine builds upon the last. I often find small elements of previous designs that spark something or feel like they have more to add to the conversation I am having. So I pull out those parts and work with them in new ways. It enables me to create cohesive collections and helps me feel connected to my artistic lineage and visual foundations.

4) Given the current social distance expectations, what challenges have been presented in your business?

Well, unfortunately there have been many. This year was intended to be a year for making big moves. I had booked bigger, out-of-state shows making it my first year of traveling for work. I was also booked for quite a few local Colorado markets in the Spring. They have all been appropriately cancelled but not before I had begun preparing inventory for them. So now I find myself without my normal face-time with customers both new & old. These events are the single most important activity I engage in for my business as I do not have a brick & mortar. Shops & boutiques that carry my line are not placing orders as they too are closed. So I am relying solely on sales from my website and social media platforms to try to move the inventory I am now sitting on. And my supply chain is a bit of a mess too, things are just taking longer if I have to source materials. And finally with schools and child-care options out- I have very few hours to focus on my business. 
These are the realities so many small businesses are facing.

I am grateful for the support my business has received during this time, it has meant a lot to me. Jewelry is non-essential but it is a feel-good indulgence. It can hold meaning, love and memory for people and it can also help them feel loved and empowered and I think thats why I am still seeing activity in my online shop. I am still operating as best I can and also paying forward in every way I can by supporting other small businesses with my dollars spent. 

5) What are your thoughts about Colorado’s creative scene for entrepreneurs?

It really is a wonderful creative community into which I have felt welcomed in during the last 2 and a half years since making CO my home. I came here from LA, and while I did have quite a wonderful artistic community built up after living there for 15 years there was an uglier side to it I really haven’t encountered here. The attitude between the creatives and entrepreneurs that I have come to know is not one that is so much competitive as it is empowering, supportive and helpful. Furthermore I have seen SO much support from locals - Colorado really shows up for things! Whether it’s artisan events, workshops, festivals or other kinds of gatherings there seems to be a good amount of local pride and community ownership in supporting the creatives and purveyors of Colorado’s good times. West + Main included!

I consider myself new. I have yet to reach my 3rd year here but I certainly feel at home as an artist and resident and I feel incredibly excited about the opportunity for growth here. I am excited to get back out there with shows and teaching workshops when the time is right. Our current predicament is devastating for many individuals, businesses and our economy but I truly believe we will be better people for it. I am sitting here in awe of the love & generosity demonstrated at a community level as well as all of the amazing art coming out of our collective desire to make lemonade out of lemons. I’m looking ahead with hope, compassion & and determination. I wish everyone reading this good health and well being!

Meet last week’s Art Inspiration, Zoe Tessier!

You have to see this video: The Big Empty - Drone footage of Denver during coronavirus stay-at-home order

Denver is staying home, and hopefully it’s helping to flatten the COVID-19 curve in our community.

If you’ve ever spent time in + around our beautiful town on a weekday, you know that it can take more than 30 minutes to get across the Downtown area, that the sidewalks are usually bustling and crowded, and it can seem almost impossible to find a place to park.

Even though this video is haunting and a bit disconcerting, it’s also a sign of hope - that most people are adhering to the stay-at-home orders issued by both the Mayor and the Governor, and that we can lessen the impact of this global pandemic.

We can do it together, by staying apart.

Shot and edited by Blake Rubenstein of Guerilla Capturing. RiNo, LoHi and Mile High Stadium shots were during lunch hours on Tuesday, March 24th, 2020. The rest of the shots were captured during lunch hours on March 26th, 2020.

Music licensed by Envato Elements:
Song: “A Beautiful Atmosphere” By Manriquedelara