DENVER — With music blasting and mimosas flowing, the air was buzzing at Champagne Tiger’s Sunday morning drag brunch.
With two sold-out shows, the events marked only part of what's been a busy holiday weekend on Colfax Avenue.
“You know, what we've seen is more people coming out. I think Denver loves Colfax as much as we do, and they're making an extra effort to come out to support,” said owner Chris Donato.
That support is proving to be crucial as construction on the East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system continues to put a strain on local businesses. The $280 million project broke ground in October 2024 after more than a decade of planning and is being completed in phases.
Fences and cones now line multiple blocks of Colfax Avenue from Broadway to Colorado Boulevard.
This was confusing to pedestrians, so the Colfax Business Improvement District recently installed signage and sidewalk decals to make it easier for visitors to continue supporting their favorite local businesses.
“The foot traffic is developing, but we're seeing a lot of people coming on out. St Paddy's Day had something to do with that yesterday, on Saturday, as well as a pub crawl that we organized,” said Frank Locantore, executive director of the Colfax Avenue Business Improvement District.
Locantore told Denver7 that the Colfax BID’s efforts to plan monthly events are seemingly paying off. The BID is also fundraising for small business owners in need by selling Colfax Under Construction shirts on the Colfax District’s website.
“The proceeds [are] going to a fund that we’ll be able to, as the BID, distribute to businesses to help them pay for bills that they might be having a little bit of a tough time with,” added Locantore.
And as the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, business owners hope it will lead to better business.
“I hope it's enough because it is. It is a challenge,” said Donato, who opened the restaurant a couple of months before construction on the BRT broke ground. “I hope, long term, everyone makes it through, and Colfax is just going to be even better than ever.”
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