Wheat Ridge businesses have been plagued for years by construction-related traffic on and near Wadsworth. For one business owner, however, Wheat Ridge community members have proven to be willing and ready to help keep local business afloat.
Cassie Grutz, owner of The Sugar Cube on Wadsworth just south of 44th, has no regrets about leaving her dental hygienist career to purchase the business in 2020. But she can’t help but feel that construction has put a damper on the experience.
“It’s so tough,” Grutz says. “I used to have a ten foot sign right next to the road with a cute little garden bed, and they had to remove that to widen the road. Last year, they wanted to take out our driveway completely. So it’s just really tough.”
Last month, frustrated after passing by a long drive-thru line at a nearby Dutch Bros coffee shop, Grutz reached out to the community (the Wheat Ridge Neighbors Facebook group) directly to source ideas on how she could drum up business. The response she got was overwhelmingly helpful and positive.
“We had over 250 comments, so many likes on the post, and everybody was so sweet and amazing.”
Grutz received dozens of comments from folks who thought her business was closed for construction. “And now that they know we’re there and open,” she says, “people have been stopping by more often.”
Since the post, neighbors have been stopping by and introducing themselves, noting that they heard about The Sugar Cube through the Facebook post.
The post also garnered attention from the Wheat Ridge Chamber of Commerce, which has since suggested ways she could expand her reach.
“[They] didn’t know I was open either. But they gave me tips like turning signs to face the road, and they let me borrow one of those flying dancing men for a few weeks. They’ve been really helpful.”
Grutz has also received support directly from workers throughout construction. She mentioned how the head of the concrete company kept The Sugar Cube’s driveway open for as long as he could, and would buy drinks for himself and his crew every day. “He really, really helped us out.”
The Sugar Cube’s specialty drinks and beans roasted by Grutz herself have made repeat customers out of those who stopped by after seeing her Facebook post. In April, the shop sold a “Fluffy Bunny” coffee with peanut butter and marshmallow, as well as a Cadbury egg mocha. This month’s specialty drink is a lavender honey iced latte with lavender sweet cream – a new take on the shop’s most popular drink; iced blackberry latte with blackberry sweet cream.
Follow The Sugar Cube on Facebook and Instagram and find Grutz at Regis’ Horseshoe Market and Arvada’s Second Saturdays. The Sugar Cube is located at 4313 Wadsworth Blvd.
