Where some businesses fear the toll the BRT has taken, two Denver natives embraced the opportunity to open a rockin’ coffee shop 

In a neighborhood with good bones, Carson and Melody Allen saw a need for a social hub, and filled it with guitars, vintage clothing, motorcycles and nostalgia.  

Despite construction plaguing businesses along East Colfax, the Allens saw what other people didn’t see: an opportunity. 

“You can find the entirety of Denver’s culture on Colfax and we wanted to be a part of that,” says Carson.   

A year into the center-running Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) construction project line along East Colfax Avenue – which hopes to be a reliable transportation option and reduce travel time for workers – some businesses faced the tolls while others has been waiting for the right opportunity.  

Good Bones Coffee hosted a grand opening on Sunday, bringing a much-needed community space to a neighborhood that is experiencing revitalization. 

“With the development on Colfax and everything, I think there are people that are hesitant to kind of pull the trigger on new businesses on Colfax,” Carson said. “We saw the potential to get in on the early side of this revitalization of Colfax and so it was just the perfect spot for us.” 

The Allen’s are no strangers to opening bold business ventures in Denver. After previously owning a successful motorcycle shop, Foo Dog Motorcycles, the Allen’s were looking to find new passion and fresh beginnings by starting another business. 

Through previous entrepreneurship and working in different positions in the service industry, the Allen’s developed the idea for Good Bones Coffee through everything that they had learned and loved throughout their careers.

The cozy space is inviting with floor-to-ceiling, cassette-tape lined walls and a selection of men’s, women’s and children’s vintage clothing. A toys for consignment section dedicated to their son called “Archie’s Corner” is also in side the coffee shop.

The wall of acoustic and electric guitars serves as more than just artwork for the space. They are for sale on consignment, with a small stage in the corner for testing equipment.  

“Coffee is being done really well in Denver,” Carson said. “And we wanted to create a space that was maybe not your conventional coffee shop.” 

One other lifestyle element Good Bones Coffee hopes to lean into that other coffee shops often overlook is community involvement.

With their small stage, the Allen’s hope the coffee house offers everything from standup comedy to open mic nights and even slam poetry.   

“Anything that someone wants to express here, as long as it’s not harmful to anyone, we’re into it,” Melody said.  

Plans for the small corner stage go beyond community as open mic nights and casual jam sessions are planned, creating a place for music lovers to unite before and after their favorite shows and concerts.

Being only a block away from the Ogden Theater, Good Bones Coffee partnered with AEG to begin hosting band meet-and-greets before shows as a way to help integrate themselves into the community. 

“We kind of have our vision from it coming out of the gate,” Melody said. “But as it grows we’re really hoping to kind of learn from the community and see what there is a desire for.”  

The coffee shop intends to stay open late, offering a community gathering place for those who might not want to partake in the typical late-night bar scene after shows.

Using coffee from local roaster Middle State Coffee, and pastries from Arise Baking Co., a local artisanal bakery that empowers youth through work and job training, the heart of Good Bones is expressed through its community.

“That’s really what the goal was for this space was to have a place,” Carson said. “Where you get off work and you can come here and it feels familiar, and you recognize the people behind the counter and the guys sitting over in the corner and you know it just kind of feels like a community.”