Embracing Growth in the Face of Construction on Colfax

Impact of Construction on Small Businesses

Navigating growth in a sea of orange cones is no easy feat. The 3-month-old Champagne Tiger restaurant welcomes this challenge with open arms. The $280 million East Colfax BRT project broke ground in October after over a decade of planning. It will run from Denver’s Union Station to I-225 on Colfax Avenue, with a dedicated transit lane in each direction. Currently, the corridor is at capacity with cars, and its bus routes serve more than 20,000 daily riders.

Even before signing the lease, the owner of Champagne Tiger, Chris Donato, attended all the town hall meetings and read all the available information. He was well-prepared for the construction and believes in the project long term. He said, "Even with the construction, crowds have been really great today. People are coming and going, and that's a positive sign."

Holiday Season as a Beacon of Hope

The holiday season serves as a ray of hope for small businesses along the first phase of construction. The Colfax Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) launched the "We Back The Fax" awareness campaign to highlight these shops and restaurants when the project first began. Officials hope it will continue to gain momentum as people shop for the holidays or enjoy a drink with loved ones.

The Colfax Ave BID also has monthly events on the calendar, starting with the first-ever Colfax Avenue tree lighting on Saturday. The idea behind these events is to bring people down to Colfax, show them how to navigate around, and encourage them to support the businesses in the construction zone.

Champagne Tiger's Holiday Spirit

Champagne Tiger is also getting into the holiday spirit. Starting on Dec. 2, the restaurant will go all out with holiday decorations. Owner Chris Donato said, "I think being on Colfax, with all the traffic we have, even with construction, it will look really cozy and celebratory. I hope people will stop and see us. We try to look at the positive."

Frank Locantore, executive director of the Colfax Avenue BID, told Denver7 that the BID and the City of Denver are doing everything they can to help businesses in need of financial assistance during the construction period. This includes a Business Impact Opportunity Fund grant of up to $15,000 starting in February 2025.