Scarpaletto is shuffling back to Larimer Square.
The high-end fashion retailer with a focus on footwear is bringing its operation back to the 1400 block of Larimer Street come fall, owners Dragana and Logan Allenbaugh told BusinessDen.
The shop, which Phil Vivinetto opened in 1979, has been on the 16th Street Mall within Market Station since 2022.
“Our brand story just fits better over there,” Logan said. “Our last stint there was 14 years, so we have a great track record with the block. Itap more of a destination.”
The Allenbaughs bought the business in November from the 70-year-old Vivinetto, who still works at Scarpaletto part-time. The couple had worked for him for the past seven years.
Vivinetto was looking to sell the store and retire, Logan Allenbaugh said.
“We have that family relationship,” Logan Allenbaugh said. “He calls us his adopted children.”
Logan Allenbaugh said that the inventory the store has become known for, with over 50 brands like Pikolinos, Magnanni and On Cloud, will largely remain the same at the new location. Shoes account for 75% of sales, with the remainder coming from leather accessories and higher-end shirts and pants.
The couple signed a seven-year lease for the 1,500-square-foot space, which is slightly bigger than the unit on the mall. Logan said it will cost around $130,000 to build out the space with new HVAC, electrical and lighting, along with product displays.
Scarpaletto moved away from its original Larimer unit, which is currently occupied by boutique Coco + Grace, because of construction on the block. But now, he said, things look “excellent” on the street.
The pair said they are excited to capture the after-dinner crowd on Larimer Square with the move and will be extending their closing from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. or later. They are also anticipating a cleaner street with faster security response times — something thatap been a problem when calling about theft or homelessness along 16th Street, they said.
They hope employees, of which there are four, have a smoother experience coming into work. Dragana said some of them, especially Scarpaletto’s female staff, have had issues with stalking or harassment that security “hasn’t really cared to do much about.”
“We want to make sure our staff feels comfortable because a lot of times we only have one person working,” she said. “It has gotten better, but itap still a concern, especially when compared to Larimer.
“And then you add things like marketing, itap a totally different ballgame with a place like Larimer Square that draws nice restaurants and has a crowd,” Logan added. “(16th) is more of a walk past than a destination.”
Vivinetto started Scarpaletto in Boulder nearly 50 years ago. It was a menswear store across stints in the Tabor Center, a first stop in Larimer Square and a period in the Cherry Creek Shopping Center. That was until 2008, when the shop added women’s shoes and apparel.
Scarpaletto’s annual revenue has toggled between $650,000 and $1.2 million since Logan started working there in 2019. He said construction at 16th Street Mall and Larimer took a “significant” toll on sales, but he anticipates the upcoming move will help propel growth on top of the 10% they’ve seen since last year.
Since their purchase, the couple has added a business website and online inventory system.
“With 45 years of data, we know what works and doesn’t, so we have the main brands that stay the same,” said Logan, who is from Kansas City. “We truly know the business of shoes, and ultimately itap about bringing it up to the 21st century.”
He and Dragana, who moved to Denver from Serbia in 2011, met during their time at Metro State University more than a decade ago.
They hope to add two more stores by the end of the decade, with the next in Scottsdale, Arizona.
“We like to keep it old school because service is one of the biggest lacks in the business world today,” Logan said. “That true genuine service and having people that know what they’re talking about. Thatap the biggest difference between e-commerce and that in-person retail experience.”
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