Denver Coffee Roaster Creates Community In A Former Starbucks – CoffeeTalk

Koan Goedman, founder of Denver coffee roaster Huckleberry Roasters, grew up in a coffee household and has been involved in the coffee industry since his childhood. In 2011, he founded Huckleberry Roasters, which opened its eighth standalone coffee shop in a decades-old former Starbucks on the corner of Eighth Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. The company has since expanded to include five other coffee shops, including an Allegro on Tennyson Street in Denver, a Peet’s Coffee in Centennial, and another Starbucks in Larimer Square.

Goedman believes that coffee shops are important places for people to connect with people, as they are one of the last few places where people can leave a lasting impact. The new Huckleberry location at 801 Colorado Blvd. closely replicates its previous incarnations, serving the same product, food, and hospitality and service from a hospitality and service perspective. The owner also believes that refurbishing these old spaces is not sticking it to big brands, as coffee culture wouldn’t exist in America without Starbucks.

The new Huckleberry location comes with the benefit of a built-in clientele, as they have regulars that would have taken a year to build. People miss their meeting points and third spaces, and the team plans to grow the brand in the Denver metro area.

Coffee is a volume game, and Goedman intends to get the number of Hucklberrys up to the low teens in the next five years, all theoretically in and around the city. He wants to have a strong presence in Colorado and feels like the Denver metro is a place they can grow in.

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