New businesses flock to appealing demographic

By Kelly Bleck

As a visitor first enters Fort Collins, driving down either Harmony, Prospect or Mulberry, they enter a close-knit community. A plethora of businesses line each street, tucked into back corners and alleyways.

Coffee shops are overflowing with students studying, restaurants are hosting their frequent family dinners and retail stores great and sell their goods.

A sense of camaraderie and companionship shrouds Fort Collins. The community takes pride in individual, local businesses that specialize in each specific trade.

Rather than relying on commercial chains, Fort Collins has built itself on entrepreneurship, becoming the No. 1 Place to Live and Work for Young Professionals in March, according to Next Generation Consulting.

“There’s a huge amount of people here and a great demographic. Plus there’s the central hub of Old Town, where everyone goes.” says Orry Carr, manager of The Funky Monkey Crepe Café which opened in July.

Old Town and Colorado State University have become important draws for new business owners. An estimated 128,000 people live in the city, with the highest percentages ranging in age from 15 to 24 and 45 to 59 years of age, according to Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce.

These demographics and the consistent attendance at CSU encourage a steady consumer base for businesses.

Photo by: Feasting Fort Collins

The Funky Monkey Crepe Café

Paint splattered walls and a small case with two hot plates greet visitors to a unique business along College Avenue. A few tables are scattered throughout the front room, but clearly this business has just begun.

Nineteen-year-old Orry Carr’s parents had made crepes on a traveling show that showcased funnel cakes and desserts. Colorado natives, they have owned their own business all their lives and Funky Monkey is the fifth.

Carr works in the shop almost every day, helping run and manage the business.

“We’re profiting, making enough money to pay bills and a little left over for me,” Carr says.

He comments on how the Fort Collins demographic is so diverse and provides a good consumer base for each unique business that crops up in Fort Collins.

“I get a wide demographic in, from older single women for lunch, college kids all hours and families on weekends,” Carr says. “We’ve been getting a lot of groups in, with three-quarters of them exceeding 30 people.”

Funky Monkey has had to work out quirks, learning that foot traffic is key and that the initial reaction to the entrance of the business can make or break a sale.

“We have a lot of walk-ins, people who just wonder what we do,” Carr says. “We’re working on redecorating the front, but it’ll be just one day you walk in and it’s different. It’ll be an overnight thing.”

The shop has expanded with a back room which has brought in larger groups of people. They were unable to open the room this summer because the shop did not have air-conditioning, but opened as soon as possible.

The business has also noticed and adhered to the demand for alcohol in Fort Collins.

“We got our license just under two weeks ago. It was a process,” Carr said. “But we definitely have seen the after and during bar rush. We have a steady following at night.”

Funky Monkey has also adapted to Fort Collins night life by incorporating unique, longer hours. They’re open Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Funky Monkey is the only dessert place open past, 10 or 11 p.m., Carr says. They have seen an increase in sales with the addition of alcohol, but the alcohol was brought in to increase the sale of crepes.

Funky Monkey also offers catered events, and will be expanding their menu to include entrees like soups and salads.

Sprig Toys, Inc.

Sprig Toys, Inc. is a manufacturer rather than a retail business, relying on local Fort Collins businesses and stores around the world to distribute their products.

“We chose Fort Collins because it’s my wife’s hometown,” said Justin Discoe, co-founder of Sprig Toys, Inc. “But we don’t have a store front, we sell nationally and internationally.”

Sprig Toys, Inc. opened in 2007, beginning with the Sprig Adventure Series of toys. These were released in September 2008, winning the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio’s 2008 Platinum Award and the National Parenting Center’s 2008 Seal of Approval.

The main toy of the series, the Discover Rig, was nominated for three 2009 Toy of the Year Awards from the Toy Industry Association.

Rather than having a retail front, Sprig relies on outside distributors to release their products. Dandelion Toys and a few other retailers in Fort Collins do carry its products.

“We send our products out to a manufacturer who then sends them to retailers,” Discoe says. “Our products are mainly for national and international consumers, so it made sense to go through a manufacturer rather than a store front.”

Sprig Toys, Inc. is unique because of its dedication to the manufacture of green toys.

“We create battery-free electronics, preschool toys specifically,” Discoe said. “We harness kinetic energy to run them. There are only three toy companies in the state, so we have virtually no competition.”

The Sprig Adventure Series is made of Sprigwood, a proprietary bio-composite of recycled wood and reclaimed plastic. When children push or pump the toys, an internal generator is activated that powers the toy.

This distinct business is based out of Fort Collins, as Discoe testifies that “it’s great place to start a business. We’ve gone from one product to 18. It’s a tough time to start a business, but we’re seeing how it goes.”

O2 Market and Lounge

Fort Collins is not just a place for restaurants, as O2 Market and Lounge is proving.

Opened in June, this unique store decided to combine three aspects, corner store, oxygen bar and beverage wall.

“There’s a lot of cool coffee houses but nothing like this in Fort Collins,” says Jason Giglio, general manager of O2 Market and Lounge. “There’s a different feel to this place, a different atmosphere.”

The owners decided to combine the three aspects because it was an idea unseen in Fort Collins. With a corner store and lounge they hoped to be a place to study, have concerts and tastings.

“A lot of people think Fort Collins isn’t as hip as Boulder, that it takes longer for things to come here,” Giglio says. “This is a totally new everything. You’re not going to find anywhere similar to this.”

The beverage wall is the most popular item, followed closely by the oxygen. Giglio says the beverages attract college students as the store stocks the standard Monsters other well-known energy drinks.

Giglio says the store only stocks drinks that have won awards, “unique ones that are healthy and actually taste good.”

The college is a big draw for the O2 bar, as recent interests are peaked around green endeavors.

“The location was perfect, right off Elizabeth surrounded by apartments. We’ve been getting a lot of 18 to 30 year-olds, and aimed for college age and young adults,” Giglio says.

The O2 bar has been sending out 2,000 to 3,000 flyers on campus with the help of their street team. It has also implemented new social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to advertise.

“I have a lot of people coming in here who have gotten the flyer but want to know just exactly what we are,” Giglio says. “We rely mostly on referrals though, that’s how a lot of people seem to have heard about us.”

And in a town such as Fort Collins, referrals and the support of local businesses has been key to entrepreneurial success.

Sense of community

“There’s really a sense of community here, the town really does support local businesses,” Giglio says.

According to the Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce, residents are spending 85 to 90 percent of their retail expenditures in the city.

This expenditure is encouraged by the plethora of unique businesses in the city, especially centered around historic Old Town.

“Downtown’s very successful. It’s a great location with a lot of variety, activity and constant foot traffic,” says David Short, executive director of Fort Collins Downtown Business Association.

Short also notes the amount of businesses in Fort Collins, as more keep cropping up.

“There’s a ton of businesses, but we don’t keep track of that so I’m not sure how many. But I think about 60 percent of small businesses in downtown are members and we have 250 members.”

Small businesses with fewer than five employees account for 57 percent of the workforce in Larimer County, according a census done in 2000 by the U.S. Census Bureau.

“There’s a lot of growth, businesses always coming and going,” Giglio says.

The unique sense of community that Fort Collins businesses rely on helps them target consumers, but the citizens are key to helping keep small, local businesses thriving.

“You know when you’re in Fort Collins,” says Giglio. “It’s a really distinct town. They really want local businesses to thrive.”