Last month, we introduced you to 5 North Denver businesses you might not have known about. This month, we wanted to introduce you to 5 more!
All Seasons
If you were over 60, would you start a new business right before the holidays during the pandemic? That daunting idea did not stop friends Lana Auten and Kathy Williams last October when they found out that the proprietors of Four Seasons indoor market were not going to renew their lease.
Auten sells local raw honey while Williams is an accomplished seamstress, creating one-of-a-kind aprons, face-masks, and other creations. Upon hearing that the market where they sold their wares would be closing, they commiserated and gathered up their resources. Through their deep community roots, they acquired a lease for a corner retail spot near West 38th and Teller.
They knocked down walls and scrubbed the 60-year-old floor until it was presentable. They scavenged for baker’s racks for display using Facebook Marketplace and drove all over Colorado to purchase them. They recovered 23 of the 40 merchants from the original market and just 2 weeks after Four Seasons had closed, they opened their new market, All Seasons Holiday Market, on November 14, 2020, and have been going successfully ever since!
All Seasons features locally-made goods such as tie-dye clothing, home-made breads and jams, and a popular selection of fresh locally sourced eggs and goats milk. Continuing their community activity, Auten and Williams are also becoming leaders among other West 38th businesses, organizing events and fostering supportive business relations. These ladies have infectious energy and enthusiasm for what they do and it is clear when talking with them that they are proud of their accomplishments. 7200 W. 38th Ave.
Carl’s Pizza
Once upon a time, North Denver had a vibrant and active Italian population that included a guy named Carl DiGiacomo, who came to Denver in the postwar years with a knowledge of pizza and sausage from his hometown of Chicago. Young Carl was rumored to make sausage in his bathtub and knew a good deal about cooking red gravy from brief encounters with Al Capone himself, who supposedly frequented the place where DiGiacomo bussed tables.
He opened Carl’s Pizza in 1953 and, refreshingly, not much has changed since. John Ludwig, who got his first job there delivering pizzas in 1976, eventually moved into a management, then partnership position and, when Carl passed away in 2004, took over the place. He vehemently confirms that they still make the sauce and sausage just the way Carl did (sans the bathtub!)
During the worst of the pandemic, the restaurant survived well on their already established take-out. Other than traditional pasta fare, Ludwig recommends the sausage sandwich and any pizza. If you want an authentic old North Denver Italian experience, pop into Carl’s. 3800 W. 38th Ave.
Suzie’s CBD Treats
We have a lot of dogs in North Denver, so I suppose it would be predictable that we boast a bounty of some of the most fashionable, cutting edge pet shops and pet goods here. Suzie’s CBD Treats creates some of those goods. CBD is becoming more and more popular for pets and I asked representative KT Cavanaugh about that.
The dog treats were created after founder Richard Squire experienced pain relief using CBD after back surgery. He decided to find a way to share this relief with his aging dog who was experiencing discomfort. When I asked if CBD is appropriate for dogs not experiencing pain, Cavanaugh confirmed that it can act as an overall preventative for inflammation as well as other issues such as allergies or anxiety.
These dog treats are made with a wide variety of organic ingredients such as oats, molasses, cinnamon, and pumpkin. As a dog owner myself, I wondered about these ingredients and found that they indeed were fine, if not also beneficial, for the doggie as long as offered in small amounts, such as in these treats.
Suzie’s is a small, independent company that only sells to small independent shops like, in North Denver: Lily’s Bath and Biscuits, Dog Savvy, Leevers Locavore, Dingo Diner, and Urban Dogg Uptown. SuziesPetTreats.com
The Edgewater Inn
When you’re in the mood for a simple, neighborhood joint with some history, another Italian veteran of North Denver, The Edgewater Inn, is a great place to get a cold schooner of Coors and a slice. Situated in an unassuming spot west of Sloan’s Lake, this place has been serving their tried and true pizza and calzone recipes since 1953 and is still owned by the original DiPietro family.
I have a memory of dating a boy from Jefferson High School in Edgewater. He took me to the Edgewater Inn for pizza. I was enchanted by the cozy bar and the fact that my date seemed to know everyone. The Inn was a keen supporter of all of the sports at the high school, brandishing pictures of the Jefferson football team among their Broncos kitsch and bowling trophies.
You can get pizza and beer at a lot of places in Denver, but if you have a soft spot for old places, to go back in time for an hour or so, walk into the Edgewater Inn and say, “Howdy, Paisano!” 5302 W. 25th Ave., Edgewater
Live Easy Tattoo
Even before the pandemic, I was a little sad about the lack of art to be found during First Fridays on Tennyson. When I recently walked into Live Easy Tattoo, the pretty chandeliers and funky retro couch that greeted me caused me to forget I was entering a tattoo shop. Chris Yaws, part owner, has helped to create an aesthetically pleasing space that is also renewing the presentation of local art in a monthly rotation.
Yaws and partner Geno Somma had both worked at a Lakewood tattoo shop that closed as a result of the pandemic. Growing up in the metro area, Yaws knew of the possibility for cultivating a vibrant community experience on Tennyson Street, so when the opportunity came up to rent a location there, they jumped on it. They have filled their shop with a veteran collective of tattoo artists, many with up to 25 years experience, and established customers.
Despite challenges presented with the pandemic, Yaws and Somma felt the community acceptance they desired when they moved in and are becoming leaders in resurrecting the art walks again. “We’ve got such great display space and it is a win-win to have the artists exhibit their art here each month,” says Yaws. Whether it be for a tattoo or to check out the artsy space, stop in! Live Easy is located at 3923 Tennyson St.
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