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It might be surprising in other cities, but in Denver the idea of a menswear store in the middle of a bicycle shop doesn't seem odd.
Which is why it made perfect sense for Eli Cox to create his own little retail patch sandwiched between Avery County Cycles and Pearl Velo at the corner of Tennyson Street and West 43rd Avenue in northwest Denver's lively Berkeley neighborhood.
Berkeley Supply, which opened earlier this month, specializes in American-made clothing and accessories. Red Wing leather boots, Filson ranch coats, Rogue Territory jeans, Taylor Stitch shirts and TinMan Provisions leather goods are some of the lines the store is selling. The merchandise has a workwear vibe, but feels a little more refined than strictly utilitarian brands like Dickies or Carhartt.
"This is all stuff that I wear and believe in," says Cox, 26. Supporting American companies is one way of rebuilding the economy and creating jobs, he maintains. He's also a stickler for quality and wants the store to be branded as a "purveyor of goods that last."
When he buys a jacket, he says, "I want it to last 40 years."
Cox said he learned retail lessons at Ted's Shoe & Sport in Keene, N.H. , where he grew up. The activewear retailer instilled in him a passion for customer service.
After getting a degree in marketing and advertising at Johnson & Wales in Denver, Cox worked in the restaurant business locally as a waiter and manager, but kept thinking about retail. He wanted to open a store a couple of years ago but couldn't find the right spot.
After talking this fall with his friends who own the bike stores, he decided to carve a retail space out of the 168 square feet they didn't need.
"I love this neighborhood," Cox says of Berkeley. "It's a great combination of old-school businesses and new ones. I live here and work here." In addition to running the store, he works nights nearby at Hops & Pie.
While tiny, the space is carefully merchandised with clothing and accessories and such artwork as snowy scenes of Cox's native New Hampshire. The center table was made by his father, who has an architectural woodworking company, and you can't help notice the very male choice of display pieces: rusted vintage chainsaws.
He didn't use them to cut the wood that's neatly stacked in one corner of the shop, but likes the effect just the same. "It's the real deal," he says.
Suzanne S. Brown: 303-954-1697, sbrown
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