A coffee shop is a sacred place. It is a story of family and community, culture and care. Founded by brothers Hani and Zahi Yaafouri, Steam has created a special place of loyal business and natural beauty.

Hammond's Candies is a sacred place. There are few things on earth that can craft a sweet smile like old-time candy, and for over a century, Hammond’s Candies has been a cherished part of holiday celebrations, stretching smiles from ear-to-ear on the young and old. From peppermint candy canes on Christmas trees to giant lollipops on a summer afternoon, their confections evoke sweet memories of festive gatherings and family traditions. 

“The joke is I didn't do the laundry at my own house before we bought this business, and now I'm responsible for over 30,000 pounds of laundry every week.” Matt Barnes is the owner of Professional Touch Laundry Services, the most trusted commercial laundry and linen service in the city. Matt communicated in our conversation a compelling vision for how a blue-collar business does the ordinary work of a laundry service while seeing the sacred in the everyday. 

Chick-fil-A may be best known for its chicken sandwiches and hospitality punctuated by “My pleasure,” but the foundation beneath the company serves as an intentional platform for leadership development. Daniel Andrews, a Chick-fil-A owner-operator in Denver, shared how his journey and the company’s culture intersect to create what he calls a “leadership factory.”

The counseling office is a sacred place. It is sacred because it provides a place to uncover past pain, practice health, and reenter relationships and the world around us with increased stability and clarity. “It’s a confessional,” says Kelley Gray in our conversation about her counseling office as a sacred place. With conviction and compassion, she continues, “People say things they’ve never said out loud—things they’ve maybe been haunted by for years. I hold it with them and the unburdening I see people experience in here is sacred.”

The local brewery is a place to share beer and share life. It is a place for people to gather and a place for people to be alone with others. The local brewery operates at a pace that provides a bit of respite from hectic and hurried life. People go to a local brewery for a variety of motivations: to unwind, to watch a game, to celebrate, to mourn. What they all have in common is an appreciation of the craft of good beer.

Describing a generative place like Grow + Gather isn’t easy, even for founder, George Gastis. “I always had this idea of an urban farm, part restaurant, part coffee shop, part gathering space that hosts things that bring people together.” George shares where the seeds of this came from, “Food was the natural hook. My dad was a big gardener, and my mom was an amazing cook. They both grew up in farming families in Greece.” “The simple version is, Grow + Gather is an urban farm and food-centric marketplace.” The goals of Grow + Gather are in plain sight. It’s all in the name—a place to grow food and for people to gather.

When I think of someone who embodies this rhythm of tending, both to land and to life, I think of Helen Skiba, the renowned Colorado flower farmer behind Artemis Flower Farm. The flowers at Artemis Flower Farm are unparalleled…dainty, boasting, and colorful. Recently I took the drive to visit Helen at her farm outside Longmont. While I was technically there to pick up a dahlia tuber order (she has the best around), we both knew the real reason was to meet her almost eight-month-old baby girl. We wandered through the farm and into her cozy home tucked right on the property, where her daughter waited…another tender life being lovingly grown alongside the flowers.

Mile Hi Cycles is owned and operated by a father who has a passion for cycling and fixing broken things. Chris Fanckboner has worked in the bike industry since 1993. He first worked at a southwest Denver bike shop while in high school. Chris would race downhill mountain bikes and became a professional bike mechanic to stay connected to his love of the cycling culture and industry. Mile Hi Cycles opened in the Washington Virginia Vale neighborhood in 2023. The desire was to open a neighborhood bike shop in close proximity to the Cherry Creek Trail.

Nestled in the heart of Denver’s historic Five Points neighborhood, the Welton Street Cafe is a sacred place, a cornerstone of culture and resilience, particularly in the Black community. It is a restaurant where stories are shared, and legacies are preserved. Its doors have been a gateway for over two decades, welcoming all who seek the warmth of community and the flavors of home.

The toy store is a sacred place. It is a place that fosters curiosity and wonder, while simultaneously inviting us to a playful connection with our neighbors and neighborhood.

 A toy store stocks its shelves not only with dolls, games, craft kits, and racecars, but also with an unspoken element of magic. What may appear to be a simple toy can open portals to other worlds in the imagination. In the act of play, there are gentle invitations to take risks, try new things, imagine possibilities, and perhaps discover a spark that grows into a lifelong love.

The winery invites another pace. A unified place, where heaven touches earth, where the sacred can be savored in every sip. The Psalmist writes that God “brings forth food from the earth, and wine to gladden the human heart” (Psalm 104:14-15). A winery is a material sign of God’s benevolence, softening the hard places and reminding us we are all part of a greater story; one of restoration, community, and grace. The winery is a sacred place.

A lumber yard is a sacred place. It is a place where wood is valued in both how it is sourced and stored. The quality and care, for both the wood and the customers is greater at a local lumber yard. A lumber yard is a business built on trust with wood mills, building contractors, and homeowners.

Adrian points out Roaming Buffalo is like many Bar-B-Que restaurants that have limited seating space. Although small, it is conducive to beginning conversations with nearby tables of regulars, out-of-towners, home-sick Texans, and those enjoying “Colorado Craft BBQ”

A vintage store is where stories are told daily of quality and care. It is a place raising awareness in how we care for both how people work and the place we live. A vintage store is a sacred place.

The ultimate goal of Kinship is to be a hotel of outrageous hospitality. A place where you encounter belonging, friendship, and trust. A hotel can be more than just a place to stay and sleep when visiting a city. Kinship Landing practices hospitality in a way that makes a hotel a sacred place.

Cultivating a life of physical health can be challenging, but a good trainer and local gym can help. The gym is a place you practice how to care for your body. The gym can also be place where you learn how much your body is connected to your soul. The gym is a sacred place.

A local pub is where meals are shared and glasses are raised to toast the end of the day or the end of the week. A pub, short for “public house” is where anyone is welcome, membership to a club or reservations weeks in advance are not required. The local pub’s warmth and charm is why it becomes the default location to meet for sharing a pint or sharing a meal. 

The story of Stan’s Automotive is how a family business has cared for a community for 50 years, and in doing so, made an automotive garage a sacred place. 

The bakery is a sacred place. It's where simple ingredients—flour, water, yeast—are transformed through skill and patience into bread and pastries. There is nothing like the anticipation for freshly baked bread or a perfectly laminated croissant.