CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — This week on Denver7 | Your Voice, we are traveling south to Castle Rock, Colorado, about 30 miles outside of the Denver city skyline.
Even in the middle of the work week, downtown Castle Rock is bustling with visitors and families enjoying all that Main Street has to offer.
On the corner of Wilcox and Fourth Street is one of the town's oldest, most famous restaurants: B&B Cafe.
"The history is phenomenal," said Robert Schoene, the owner of B&B Cafe.
Schoene has owned the business for about 11 years, but the cafe opened in the 1930s.
Some of downtown’s buildings, dating back to the late 1800s, stand in stark contrast to what many people know the town for: the Outlets at Castle Rock.
“There's a ton of history down here, and the community, it's got a great sense of community… that, I think, is special,” said Schoene.
Customers flock to the breakfast restaurant at all hours of the morning on any given day.
“The only thing I don't like about it is they don't stay open past three in the afternoon,” said Ralph Marcantoni when asked what he likes about the community’s staple cafe.
Marcantoni has lived in Castle Rock for about 15 years.
“Fifteen years ago, [it] wasn't as crowded as it is today,” Marcantoni told Denver7’s Natalie Chuck. “Used to be able to drive down this street at five in the afternoon and just take you two minutes. Now, it takes you 20 minutes.”
Growth is a common topic of conversation for many of the roughly 80,000 people living in the town.
“It can be hard,” said Bree Megas, who recently opened a tea shop alongside her mom downtown. “We're building up more and more apartments, but the parking is shrinking and shrinking, and that's kind of a challenge.”
But for a new business owner in town, the concerns over growth do not outweigh the compliments Megas has to pay to Castle Rock.
“It's just such a nice place to be, honestly. Even just hiking… In a suburb, there's not a whole lot of hiking,” said Megas.
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