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Sleep Nation And Adams & Jane Home Collection Help Century 21 Plaza Thrive
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.
Why Your Business Site May Disappear
I warned you in January to make your website mobile friendly. I predicted it would happen in 2015, and unfortunately it came true in April. I say unfortunately because Google’s announcement to re-rank the way their search engine delivers search results can be drastic for those businesses without a mobile-friendly website.
Let’s start at the beginning. When you use Google to find a business (i.e. an auto body shop, restaurant, insurance agent, any Glendale business), your search results were delivered regardless of the type of business website. In April, Google decided to deliver results that had mobile-friendly sites BEFORE listing other sites. Note, this is only happening when searching from a mobile device, which makes up 60 percent of the web traffic.
Now, think of a recent search you performed and the results you received. Did you go past page 1? Page 2? A third of web traffic does not go past page one. What does this mean to your business? If your business does not offer a mobile-friendly site, you’ll end up buried on pages well after those with mobile sites. Consumers will not click through pages to find your business. If you were highly ranked previous to this change, your results will change overnight.
How can you prepare your business? Simply put, create a mobile-friendly site. This does not need to be a costly project. There are a few things you can do on a budget. Check out bmobilized.com. They offer to optimize your site for mobility for a nominal monthly fee. If you are a WordPress user, use the WPtouch Mobile Plugin. Either of these tools do not require an “IT” background. Fairly easy as a “click, click, go” approach. I would recommend reviewing some best practices. CIO Magazine has an article, http://goo.gl/pO0c22, recommending ways to make your business mobile-friendly. Mobility is driving a higher percentage of web traffic each year. Your business needs to be positioned to capture this audience. Don’t let your business website disappear!
I’m still on a cable-free kick. HBO Now was launched recently. For a monthly fee, much less than a cable provider, HBO can be streamed to your device. If only the other cable channels could follow in their footsteps. I would enjoy hearing from readers that are experimenting with kicking cable.
I’ve never been accused of being a green thumb, however I do give working on my lawn and garden an honest effort each season. With the flip of the calendar to May, it’s time to plant and fix the bald spots on my grass. I struggle to identify plants and flowers. If you do as well, take a leaf and place a white background behind it. Using your phone, take a photo and submit it to Leafsnap for identification. You’ll have an idea of what is growing in your yard. I don’t recommend this for poison ivy.
Garden Squared is an app that will assist you in planning where to plant your veggies within a given space. Throughout the year, I’m not certain what to place on my lawn. Do I use compost or fertilizer? Are they even the same thing? If you struggle with this topic, try My Lawn from Scotts. It will create a lawn care program based on the time of year, as well as recommendations of what your lawn needs to look green and healthy.
If your allergies are taking a toll on you, check out WedMD Allergy. It provides allergy information based on your area and gives treatment recommendations. AllergyManager offers an allergy forecast. The layout is a matrix of the allergy forecast along with what will be the result of the forecast, such as a runny nose, headache or another annoying symptom.
Allergies, gardening and Google changing their search results rankings are enough to give anyone a headache. Hang in there and enjoy the sunshine!
Do you have a favorite app you’d like to share? Contact Brian at brian@brianzabro ski.com, on Twitter @BrianZab or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/brianzab.
Brian, a Corporate Account Executive with NetSuite, has spent nearly 20 years in the telecommunications and software industry. Businesses often have the same concerns: How do I increase my revenue and profit? How do I attract great talent? Am I easy to do business with? Is it simple to access my business information? If you’re a business that would like to learn how Box, GoPro, Groupon and FitBit have used NetSuite to answer these questions, then please contact Brian.
Magical Moonlight In May
May is one of the most beautiful months of the year. The garden begins to sprout, wild flowers start to bloom plus trees and grasses are turning green. The first full moon over the Valley is on May 3, 9:45 p.m. “Once in a Blue Moon” — a second full moon in the same month — often occurs in May. It’s May 21 of next year, again May 18, 2019.
The Kentucky Derby is the first Saturday in May. Mother’s Day is the second Sunday in May. Moreover, Memorial Day is celebrated on the last Monday in May.
Under a flower moon here are our choices for shopping, dining and entertainment because it’s May. It’s May the month when we can all say, and yes you may:
3 Get a May attitude ladies and attend the Women with Hattitude luncheon on May 7. The Women’s Voices Fund event supports playwrights and directors in DCPA’s Seawell Ballroom. Information: 303-446-4815.
3 Rare art sale at Philadelphia Print Shop May 4-15 is a supernatural delight featuring 19th Century through WWII prints. Information: 303-322-4757.
3 Everyone yell Mayday this month and begin heading to the Valley’s largest garden center. Paulino Gardens specializes in trees, shrubs and rose bushes plus vegetables and herbs. Information: 303-429-8062.
3 For Mother’s Day give mom a chocolate high at the Colorado Chocolate Festival in the Denver Mart, May 8-9. Information: 303-347-8252.
3 Fly high in May with rugs from Ten Thousand Villages’ Oriental Rug Event at Augustana Church, May 13-16. Information: 303-316-8773.
3 Go with your heart or on a whim, but do attend the Children’s Future fundraiser at Sullivan’s May 15, 5:30 p.m. Information: 720-545-5254.
3 Mom will spoon to the moon when you treat her to brunch the second Sunday in May at the Inn at Cherry Creek. Information: 303-377-8577.
3 Make it a May to remember by learning to launch your own business at CFU’s Un-Job Fair in Lowry, May 30. Information: 303-399-0093.
3 Think about the moon when you attend the annual Colorado Corks & Cuisine event May 21, 5:30-8:30 p.m. You are sure to write a song about the heart because it will howl with delight in the moonlight at Four Mile Historic Park. You’ll sample the fruits of local wineries, distilleries, breweries, and culinary artists while raising funds to support the park’s preservation and education initiatives. Information: 720-865-0815.
May was first named for Maia, the Roman goddess of spring and growth. The snow and ice are usually gone, but the hot temperatures haven’t arrived yet. When the moon gets big and bright it’s like walking on moon craters causing us to get hungry. We’re in luck because it’s National Barbecue, Salad, Salsa and Strawberry Month.
Fragrances waft through the air from the forsythia, violets and jack-in-the box that bloom in May. Birds build their nests this month to sit on eggs that will soon hatch.
It’s May; it’s May, that gorgeous holiday, declared Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe in the musical Camelot. “It’s mad, it’s gay, a libelous display with those dreary vows that everyone takes and everyone breaks.” Or to paraphrase another song, they don’t bark and they don’t bite, they keep loose because it’s moonlight in May.
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
