by Troy Hooper, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer
Sunday, June 28, 2009
The grim economy has claimed its share of established businesses. But it has also given birth to a number of new Aspen start-ups whose operators are seizing the day in this brave new world.
One such business is Local Spokes, a new pedicab operation run by four locals carving out a niche in the town?s transportation scene.
Carbondale native Talbott Walker, his sister Tara, Erin Stafford and Chris Erickson just recently rolled out their bicycle rickshaws for customers seeking short-distant trips or some casual sightseeing.
?It?s the ultimate convertible,? Talbott explained Friday. ?We?re living in this crazy time of the world right now. But we don?t need oil to run our cabs. We?re keeping this as simple as it gets.?
With no fuel costs, the biggest investment for the new business owners was the purchase of the rickshaws themselves, not to mention the time and energy that goes into powering them.
Pedicabs began taking off in cities like Denver, San Diego and New York in the 1990s as popular and environmentally friendly transportation alternatives. Talbott said he got the idea to start an operation in Aspen while hanging out in San Francisco, where, despite the hills, they thrive among the progressive population by the Bay.
?It really just seemed like a perfect job,? he said.
?And it?s an excuse to hang out in town and meet new people,? Tara added.
Local Spokes employs a dozen peddlers who rent the rickshaws from the owners, who also peddle the carriages, for about $30. The pay can be good: A strong-legged rider with an endearing personality might walk away with several hundred dollars after a six-hour shift.
But the fledgling Aspen operation isn?t overly concerned with cash. Riders typically work for tips, or negotiate a price with the customer. A decent starting point is $5 or $10, depending on the distance.
?We get a lot of locals. Whatever you feel good paying, we?ll feel good taking,? Talbott said. ?We?ve given away a lot of free rides.?
The operation is primarily limited to Aspen city limits but it depends on the discretion of the rider. ?If it?s 3 a.m. and somebody really wants to go to Truscott, we?ll probably do it,? he said.
Randy Placeres, the owner of Aspen Culinary Solutions, a catering business, recently launched a gourmet salad bar called Nu Trition. Sharing part of his catering company?s Airport Business Center space, Nu Trition serves up a variety of salads, soups and hot plates to go, although there is now also a patio area for those who stay.
It is catering mostly to the local working population, as its hours reflect: Monday through Friday from 10:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
?We opened right in the middle of the worst part of March. This is something I?ve always wanted to do and the recession made me finally get off my ass and pursue it,? Placeres said Saturday. ?I didn?t just want to wait for my phone to ring for catering anymore.?
Hot plates include selections like grilled Hoisin chicken, Korean steak, Thai shrimp or tofu (plus a side) for $9.50, salads are generally offered at the same price, and soups sell for $7.50.
Closer to town, Tom Bedell is getting back to his roots. Back in the 1960s, inspired by the Beatles at age 14, Bedell began importing acoustic guitars from Japan and slapping his own label on them. A year later, he owned two music stores in Iowa and operated a wholesale guitar business that was licensed in five different states. He sold the operations when he enrolled at the University of Colorado.
Now, a half century later, he?s getting back into the business. He and his wife opened Two Old Hippies where the old Great Divide, which had been around since the 1970s, was on Monarch Street.
The store sells premium guitar brands, such as Martin and Fender, but it is also selling the owner?s own custom line, Bedell Guitars. The instruments, featuring hand-crafted wood, are manufactured in China.
?I design my own line and am having a lot of fun doing it,? Bedell said.
Two Old Hippies, however, is about far more than just guitars. The store also sells clothes, crafts and textiles from around the world.
?It?s about the lifestyle that all of us used to love,? Bedell said. ?We?re being true to ourselves. You might dress up to go to work but when you come home what are the clothes you want to wear??
He and his business partner ? his wife Molly ? hope its their stuff.
Molly Bedell said Two OId Hippies is committed to carrying ?great lines of contemporary expressions of the hippy look.? She noted that she is also designing her own line of clothing, to debut next year.
?What?s really been a pleasant surprise is so many people say this is old Aspen, a great store that reflects how Aspen used to be,? she said.
Another new downtown store is Twinkle, operated by new mother Michelle Weeks. It is located just off of Mill Street.
?I had a baby myself and there was nowhere to buy any baby stuff in town,? said Weeks, the proud mama of 7-month-old daughter Zoe.
Twinkle sells some new baby clothes but much of it is used and looks like new because babies grow out of their threads so quickly.
?I thought the product was perfect for the economy because it is mostly recycled,? said Weeks, who offers consignment. ?We still have name brands and high quality items but it?s at a nice price point.?
Other new businesses in Aspen that have popped up in recent weeks include Aspen Tan, which is where Take 2 Video used to be on Puppy Smith Street; Escape restaurant, which is the new bistro in Explore Booksellers featuring new menus and décor; Ute City Cycles off of Main Street; Cloud Nine Brownies is moving out of the Airport Business Center and into a new space at Aspen Highlands that includes seating; Aspen Nails & Spa recently debuted its manicure and pedicure operation on Spring Street; and a bunch of new businesses planned for Fat City Plaza off of Cooper Avenue, including a new noodle shop operated by the guys at Kenichi.
hoop@aspendailynews.com