DENVER (KDVR) — Love may be in the air in downtown Denver, but a robust retail scene is not. Right now, the area has only 30% of commercial business operating. That lack of a customer base is hurting downtown retail.
For many businesses, especially restaurants, customer-attracting holidays are more important than ever. Many retail businesses are drawing back Cupid’s bow in hopes of making much-needed revenue.
Brent and Meghan Walker opened their Asian-inspired restaurant Forage at the Dairy Block shopping district just before the pandemic shut them down.
“(It was) disbelief at first. Like, there is no way this could be happening just after getting opened. There was supposed to be a big St. Patrick’s Day parade coming down Blake Street, we had all the staging ready to go,” Brent said.
Although the Walkers are hopeful their Valentine’s Day dinner menu will generate some much-needed income, they are not putting all their arrows in one quiver.
“Seeing that pop of business coming down for a Valentine’s Day weekend or any other event that we are doing, I think it gives people a reason to come downtown,” Meghan said.
Ariana Didziulis, the executive chef at Bistro Vendome, is happy to put Valentine’s Day on the menu.
“We are coming from some really slow weeks, have really hurt us, and having Valentine’s Day be on a Monday, so we can actually take advantage of the whole weekend, is huge for us,” Didziulis said.
Downtown Denver Partnership told FOX31’s Dan Daru that commercial business occupancy is down by 70%.
“The events are just so important to the center city coming back,” Kourtny Garrett, Downtown Denver Partnership president and CEO, said.
For retail to work, you need customers. Right now in downtown Denver Cupid is not in a target-rich environment.