by Mark Smiley
Century 21 Plaza, located at 1390 S. Colorado Boulevard, opened in June 2013 with just a few stores anchoring it, including Sprint, Yogurtland and Mooyah Burgers. Now, it boasts successful stores such as Adams and Jane, Sleep Nation, Thai Pot Cafe and newly added Xfinity for a total of nine stores open and operational.
Century 21 Plaza is named after the historic Century 21 Theater which was in this location from 1967 to 1990. When the theater closed in 1990 with a showing of the Last Emperor, so too did a chapter of Denver’s history. Twenty-five years have passed since the Century 21 Theater closed.
The plaza is already approximately 75 percent occupied which is no small feat considering the site features two buildings for a total of 32,055 total retail square feet. “We have been highly selective about the types and quality of our tenants,” said Doug Antonoff of Antonoff & Co. “We are delighted with both the specific tenants that have chosen our center and the tenant mix we have been able to achieve.” One of the attractions for new and existing businesses to locate here is the 138 parking spaces available.
Some businesses have moved from other locations and have thrived such as Thai Pot Café which has increased their sales since moving from their previous location which was two blocks south of its current location on Colorado Boulevard. Antonoff noted that Jersey Mike’s Subs will begin construction soon and more tenants would be announced soon.
One business that has taken the leap which did not have an existing storefront before moving in is Adams and Jane Home Collection. Adams and Jane has an assortment of furniture, lighting, pillows and other artifacts to complement a home.
For co-owner Amy Adams it was not an easy decision to open the store back in November 2014. “To open this place was nerve-racking. I worked out of my home since 1982 and to take the plunge and sign a lease was a big risk,” said Adams.
Before her design career, Adams worked as a real estate agent in Keystone until she moved to Denver in 1997. After struggling in the Denver market, she launched her design career by working with local home builders.
Adams has a knack for design and can walk into a room and decide what should be done in one hour or less. Her work consists of paint colors, rugs, wallpaper, and more. Each quote is specialized and is not a one size fits all situation. “There is no magic,” said Adams. “You have to have a good eye. A lot of designers use the same brands or colors in everything they do. I try to get into the home and look at lifestyle and if they have dogs, kids, etc.”
Adams offers one stop shopping for those wanting to redesign their existing home or needing help with a new home. She manages the entire project and clients write one check to Adams as she interacts with general and subcontractors.
Her decision to move to Century 21 Plaza rather than the more upscale Cherry Creek North, hinged on parking. The parking is ample in this shopping center and has attracted businesses that would otherwise look for alternative areas.
One such business is Sleep Nation. Owner Sean Sutton searched for office space in Denver for over a year until he decided on Century 21 Plaza. He opened his second store here in May 2014 after opening a store in Park Meadows in November 2011.
Sutton worked for Mattress Firm for five years, Mattress King for five years, and Mattress Firm for another two-year run before he and his wife opened up their first store. “My wife and I saw a need for a niche product in the industry,” said Sutton. “All of our beds are plant based. They consist of half natural oils and half polyurethane.”
As far as sales are concerned, Sutton would like to see more. Comparatively speaking though, the Colorado Boulevard store started out better than the Park Meadows store. Now, the two stores trade off month to month on which outperforms the other.
Direct competitors of Sleep Nation are Denver Mattress, Sleep Number, Mattress Firm and Urban Mattress. One thing Sutton boasts is the fact that he is one of the only locally-owned mattress companies in Colorado. “We are local and reasonably priced,” said Sutton. “We study sleep, not sales. We have a non-aggressive style and are not pushy. We really listen to what the customer wants.”
Sutton also talks about what the industry calls the “be back” rate where the customer indicates they will be back. What really happens is that customers test other mattresses at other stores and find what they need elsewhere. Sutton says that their rate is far higher than the competition because customers inevitably like the combination of comfort and price of Sleep Nation mattresses.
One thing is for sure, although it is a big risk for businesses like Adams and Jane Home Collection and Sleep Nation to lease a storefront, they are finding success at their locations in Century 21 Plaza.
For more information on Century 21 Plaza, visit www.century21denver.com. For Adams and Jane, visit www.adamsand janehomecollection.com and for Sleep Nation, visit www.mysleepnation.com.