FORT COLLINS — Catalyst Coffee was more than close to closing. Its death certificate was already filled out, right down to the date: Jan. 20, 2009.
Tapped out of financial resources in an already difficult economy, it seemed there was no way the small business could pull through. That is, until customers pulled together to save the funky shop at the corner of West Horsetooth Road and South Shields Street.
The moment that shop owner Fade Wall hung a sign that said Catalyst was closing, customers started asking what they could do to save the shop. Regulars started dropping in more often — some more than once a day. A silent auction of donated items, including a bicycle, raised $3,500 for the shop, and vendors were flexible with payment plans to help the shop pay its bills.
Suddenly, there was a pulse.
Catalyst was forced to close, but for only 10 days. It came out of its coma Jan. 31 with a new business model, combining a morning cup of joe with an evening slate of live music.
“There were a lot of tears for me, because I was overwhelmed by the generosity,” Wall said.
Re/Max Realtor and concert producer Dru Van Doren first learned via Facebook that Catalyst was in trouble. She and her partner, Cynthia Torp, set out to see whether there was anything they could do about it.
“Not only was it my coffee shop, it was a meeting place that was unique to Fort Collins,” Van Doren said.
Catalyst already had a tap room in the back, serving hard-to-find beers and wine. Both Van Doren and Wall felt it could be enhanced if it was marketed as a music venue for local bands and family-friendly entertainment.
Before, with P-Town Productions, Van Doren was putting on eight concerts a year. Now, through her efforts, The Tap Room at Catalyst presents three shows a week in a space that can seat 50 to 80 people. Van Doren also spearheaded the auction the night it was held, though the suggestion for the event came from another customer.
Both ends of the new Catalyst must work in cooperation with each other. So far, so good.
“If I can’t pull my weight on the espresso bar side, we can’t make it. And vice versa,” Wall said.
It took all of these factors to turn Catalyst around, but the catalyst for it all was the feeling of community fostered inside its walls, shop regulars said.
Dennis Mitchell has been a regular customer at Catalyst since it opened in 2004. Faced with losing his favorite spot to “shoot the breeze and solve the world’s problems,” he set about to find another.
After going through several, he never settled on a replacement.
“The baristas . . . all of them are great people,” Mitchell said. “They’re all very friendly. They know the customers very well.”
Wall said the staff always strives to offer a unique and personal experience at Catalyst, which is the primary reason it is still around today.
“Our customers feel like they are a part of this family,” she said.
On a recent afternoon, Mitchell rose out of the brown leather chair toward the back of the shop where he had settled in for a chunk of the afternoon, saying his goodbyes to everyone on his way out the door.
He walked out with confidence that the shop will still be there when he comes back.
George Plaven: 303-954-1638 or gplaven@denverpost.com
