Overview:
Tennyson Street locals share why supporting small businesses matters amid rising costs and gentrification changing the neighborhood.
Tennyson Street has long been a staple of the Denver commercial corridor. It’s known for its restaurants, coffee shops, retail, boutiques and more. An abundance of businesses now flank where historic rail cars used to run, but the corridor is being gentrified.
Today, small, locally-owned businesses that define the culture of Tennyson Street are feeling crowded. Out-of-state investments and corporate retailers have led to an uptick in rent and costs. An abundance of small businesses in the neighborhood have either had to move off Tennyson Street or close altogether. The original small businesses, and the culture they provide, are now in jeopardy.
In this week’s edition of Bucket List on the Street, we went to Tennyson Street to ask locals one question: Why do small businesses matter to them?
Specialized Care
Eric, 35, from Denver, feels commercialized chain businesses can’t fit the specific needs of a community. He believes that small businesses exist in a unique space where they are closer to the needs and wants of locals. Because of that, he seeks out small businesses because of the extra care they take.
“I love having small businesses in the area,” Eric said. “I think it is definitely much better than when you go to more of a commercialized chain. I think small businesses take the extra care because they depend on repeat customers and word of mouth a lot more than name-brand corporations.”
Community Impact
John, 35, from Berkeley in Denver, says small businesses are everything to his community near Tennyson Street. Not only do they sell clothes or coffee, but relationships are important. John explains how relationships can be formed with these businesses.
“It’s [small business] everything to all of us here,” John said. “It’s all the neighbors we know here. All the businesses that we walk into. There’s small businesses we all go into, we love them, we wouldn’t want a whole bunch of chain retailers that are all around the country.”
Relationships
For Mary Anne, 75, from North Denver, small businesses extend beyond a simple monetary transaction. They give back to the community. The relationship between the community and a small business goes both ways.
“I think it’s something that makes you feel like you’re a part of the community,” Mary Anne said. “They typically support other members of the community and therefore I like to support them.”
Connection
Alison, 42, from Wheat Ridge, intentionally seeks out small businesses. For her, it is important to have the chance to shop small in her neighborhood. Tennyson Street’s independent shops and walkability offer a unique opportunity to feel connected with the community.
“My husband and I, we live just down the road, and we like to shop and date local,” Alison said. “So we actually like to come to Tennyson for our date nights and we usually find a lot of great local places. We seek out local when we come to Tennyson.”
Purpose
Meg, 48, from Golden, said she notices change on Tennyson Street. She says Tennyson Street feels more built up and developed. Because of this, it’s important to seek out family-owned places, like Cozy Cottage. This way, family-owned restaurants can stay family-owned.
“It does seem a little more built up, but we love to seek out local businesses and support them,” Meg said. “We were just eating at Cozy Cottage, which was delicious. I know it’s family-owned. When asked, I do seek out the local businesses to support them.”
With all of these taken together, it is clear there is a close relationship between locals and their small businesses on Tennyson Street. Not only do locals seek out small businesses for the unique specialized care they provide, but these businesses are able to adapt, grow and give back to their community.
