Owner Susan Kirkpatrick and her staff were busy filling online and phone orders for pickup when a frequent customer stopped by to pick up an order. He also qualified for and received money from the federal government's Payroll Protection Program to keep his workers on.Ī few doors down from Mary's Mountain Cookies, Savory Spice Shop's front door stood open, but a sandwich board in front reminded customers they weren't allowed in. He and employees devised a cookie slide to maintain "no-contact" purchases, and business started to build as customers were amused by the slide. Neal was able to keep on his four full-time employees as they took the business a step further, ramping up the cookie truck efforts. Lifting COVID-19 restrictions: Estes Park rentals, vacation lodging to open It closed for two days after the initial shutdown but turned their attention to shipping and delivering cookies.
The truck has been parked up near Horsetooth Reservoir for a couple of weeks to help spur business.Īs part of the food industry, Mary's Mountain Cookies was allowed to remain open for takeout and delivery. In the median of College Avenue, owner Mike Neal filled Mary's Mountain cookie truck with stock for the day. If you press your nose against the window or give it a tap, an employee will ask you to point to your selection. Most wore masks some ignored the state's directive to cover their noses and mouths in public.īusinesses were getting creative to draw shoppers to their stores.Ī chalk map on the sidewalk of College Avenue directed pedestrians to Mary's Mountain Cookies, where cookies tempted the tastebuds from behind the glass storefront. "It has become more the norm rather than the exception." Businesses get creativeĪs noon approached, a few people walked around downtown enjoying the warm spring sun, darting into Little Bird Bakeshop or Bean Cycle for a cup of coffee or pastry to go, window shopping or enjoying a peaceful and lightly populated Old Town Square.
"By now people have gotten more used to wearing masks as they go out," Hewitt said. He expects a lot of pent-up excitement as stores reopen with new guidelines, including allowing 50% of employees in the store, limiting the number of people in the store to 10 at one time and requiring staff and customers to wear face masks. The Cupboard owner Jim Hewitt said his phone was ringing nonstop Monday with customers "who have been wanting to support us and communicated their desire to support our business," Hewitt said by phone. Restaurants and bars, however, will not be allowed to reopen quite yet.įAQ: What does the 'safer at home' order mean for Larimer County? On Friday, they can begin opening their doors for a limited amount of customers at a time with certain guidelines to maximize safety. Retailers who had been shut down were now allowed to open for curbside pickup. On Monday, Old Town began to lift up its head - like bears awakening from a winter's nap - as the governor's stay-at-home order transitioned to a safer-at-home order. Sellers and buyers seemed to breathe a metaphorical sigh of relief, as if to say, "The crisis isn't over, but maybe we'll be OK." Rieth was an early customer Monday as The Cupboard, and many other retailers, took the first step toward a new normal, slowly reopening after the COVID-19 crisis shut the city and state down. Monday.Ī store employee brought out a bag that Rieth tucked into a saddlebag on her bike, and she pedaled off. Melanie Rieth sidled up to the The Cupboard's back door in Montezuma Fuller Alley in Old Town just after 11 a.m. View Gallery: Old Town Fort Collins partially reopens under 'safer-at-home'