Parker coffee shop claims unannounced construction project in Colorado threatens business

A Parker coffee shop says a construction project they were never warned about is threatening their business. Shelby Varra and her mom founded Perfect Blend in 2024.

"I was a single mom with two kiddos, and I felt it was really important to show my kids that no matter your situation, that you can accomplish your dreams," said Varra.

Located under the Watermark at the Twenty Mile apartment complex, the shop offers both coffee and cocktails.

"There's a place for the kiddos to play. Moms can gather with their friends," said Varra. "Everyone who walks into this space, we want them to feel like they're seen and they're heard and they're welcome no matter what."

Business was good... until March 23, when construction cones went up on Twenty Mile Road.

"One day, I came into the shop to open it, and I saw that both of our entrances were closed. We were given no warning whatsoever. So all of a sudden I have customers calling asking how they can access our shop," said Varra.

A three-phase bridge rehabilitation project on the Twenty Mile Bridge over Sulphur Gulch had begun, forcing northbound traffic on Twenty Mile into the southbound lanes and cutting off both primary accesses to Perfect Blend's parking lot.

"All of a sudden, we're seeing our business drop tremendously because of that. The convenience of a coffee shop is obviously being able to come and go," said Varra. "We now feel like we're immediately sinking and treading water and just trying really hard to swim."

"I usually turn right off of 20 Mile and you can't get in that way, so now you have to go the back way through the neighborhood, so it's a little bit more difficult for sure," said Allyson Grimme, a Perfect Blend regular.

Varra has seen at least a 30% decrease in business since the project began, and she was forced to cut hours for her employees.

"Right now, I can't even pay myself in order to pay my bills. And I have two kids at home and one on the way," said Varra. "As a small business, with no warning, one, we weren't able to post at all on social media to warn our customers or give them a map of how to access. On top of it, we have a product that's going bad. I didn't know to change how I ordered, knowing it would affect business."

The Town of Parker told CBS Colorado they didn't contact Perfect Blend prior to construction because they didn't realize a business was there. Instead, the town had wrongfully assumed Perfect Blend was an amenity for the apartment complex.

Once Varra reached out to them, the town says they added signage directing customers to the business, posted on social media and restored partial access to one of the Twenty Mile entrances.

While the signs and callouts on social media are brewing up business for Perfect Blend on some days, others are painfully slow. Varra says on Sunday, she saw less than half the business she usually does.

Varra has also posted to social media to let customers know about the construction.

"At this point, all I can do is hope that our customers continue to come in, and our social media posts are enough for people to know that we are open and we are hurting for business," said Varra.

Parker says the construction is expected to last 10 weeks, but Perfect Blend's access should only be directly impacted for half that.

But Varra worries that the construction will still detour potential customers away long-term.

"It doesn't take that long to create a habit. By the time this is all done, they're going to find their new spot. And that's really heartbreaking for, you know, a small business," said Varra. "Parker is all about supporting small, and we love that. That's why we chose to open this business in Parker. I was born and raised. I went to high school here. I have kids who are in the school system here. We love Parker, and this was a dream of mine to do forever, and now we feel like we're between a rock and a hard spot."

"This is my favorite coffee shop," said Grimme. "That bums me out. I really want them to succeed. I hope everyone comes to support them through the construction."

A Town of Parker representative provided the following information:

• Public outreach for this project began with the Town deploying variable message boards March 9 in advance of the project. The Town also provided public communications via the Town's Facebook page and our Roads and Transportation email blast list on March 20.
• Construction equipment was mobilized to the project area March 23, and traffic was diverted away from the Twenty Mile Road's northbound lanes and onto the southbound lanes March 25.
• Unfortunately, our staff did not contact the Perfect Blend business owner in advance of the project. They were not aware there was a storefront business in the Watermark at Twenty Mile apartment complex. The signage for the business is similar to that of the apartment's leasing office and gym, so it was assumed that the coffee shop was an amenity of the apartment complex rather than an independent business.
• Perfect Blend notified the Town of the access issue on March 26. In response, our Public Works staff immediately reached out to the business owner. To help alleviate the issue, ingress access (right-in) was restored for the northernmost access point nearest Perfect Blend on March 27. Additionally, custom signage was later added to direct motorists where to go to access Perfect Blend (image is attached).
• At no time was access to Perfect Blend eliminated entirely. The three southernmost access points depicted on this map have always remained open to some extent.
• The Town provided additional public outreach specifically pointing out how to access Perfect Blend via Facebook and email blast posts on April 2.
• Regarding the project timeline, the entire project timeline is estimated at 10 weeks. Access to Perfect Blend is expected to be impacted for only about half of that time. Normal access for the apartment complex that houses Perfect Blend is expected to be restored in about 3 weeks when all traffic will be shifted to the northbound lanes to work on the other side of the bridge.
• Projects like this almost always result in some inconveniences for businesses, homeowners and motorists. The Town and its contractors do everything that we can to be responsive and make accommodations when possible.