Green Spaces Market Allows Small Business to Thrive in RiNo

Jevon Taylor was priced out of the RiNo commercial market when the lease on his clothing store, False Ego, increased. The cost of the lease was unsustainable for his business, so he closed up shop and invested in Green Spaces Market, a co-working space down the street from his former storefront. He wanted to support small businesses and give them opportunities to enter RiNo's market.

“I asked myself: How do we give access to small businesses and artists in a thriving commercial area?” Taylor recalls.

Green Spaces Market aims to give that access and more when it opens at 2590 Walnut Street on Saturday, April 1, with eleven vendors, an art gallery, a bar and cafe. The market is adjacent to and part of Green Spaces co-working offices, of which Taylor took ownership in January 2022.
All vendors, with wares ranging from snack food to high-end jackets, are local. For vendors like Theo & Amelia, a fragrance shop owned by Anthony Tori, this is their first time selling from a brick-and-mortar. Tori says the vendor space has allowed him to expand his inventory and focus less on Amazon and more on in-person sales.

And being a vendor at Green Spaces Market provides not only the space to sell, but an opportunity to find accounting, marketing and other business-related services at a discount, and sometimes at no cost at all. Taylor has met with each Green Spaces Market vendor to determine what services would be most helpful, and partners with other organizations to provide those services. For example, he has partnered with CFO Share, which provides pro bono tax preparation, and Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute, which has a small-business boot camp and distributes microgrants.

Most important, Green Spaces Market gives its vendors a location in a commercial district that they wouldn't be able to afford otherwise. It’s a Bodega is opening its third location in Green Spaces. The shop sells packaged snacks and candy from around the world, inspired by owner KC Christian's travels. “I’d bring snacks home, and my friends would steal them or want to buy them from me,” Christian says about starting the business.

Christian's flagship store, at 1242 South Broadway, has snacks from more than fifteen countries, with the Green Spaces location hosting a smaller selection that includes vegan Kit Kats and Cadbury chocolate, shell-less Skittles from the U.K. and uniquely flavored chips. Christian is also setting up a delivery service that will launch this summer, so snacks can be ordered online and delivered the same day. Zero Market, with shops at Edgewater Public Market and Stanley Marketplace, will also open its third location in Green Spaces Market, offering bulk soaps, shampoo, conditioner and other alternative eco-friendly products. Customers can bring their own containers or buy them at the vendor space to refill in the future.

Simple Switch, which offers alternative products for offices and homes that focus on sustainability, is opening its only storefront in Green Spaces Market. At Simple Switch, guests can order items using a QR code and have it shipped to their house, as many of the items are sold in bulk and “not something you want to carry around when out for a cup of coffee,” explains owner Rachel Kois.

Melody Market, which closed its Five Points location in January, is reopening at Green Spaces Market. There is also a flower shop, called Black + Blossomed, which along with floral arrangements will offer some crafts and a flower bar hour, when customers can buy flowers by the stem and make their own arrangements. Other vendors include Eternal Balance Candles, Love Weld and LAAW Designs, which sells unique outerware with customized patches. There will also be a coffee shop by Migas Coffee, and a bar with beer, cocktails, wine and alcohol-infused ice cream.

Green Spaces Market can also host events, conferences and retreats, since most of the vendor spaces are on wheels. After launching, Taylor is planning a calendar of workshops for small businesses, art classes and more, and has partnered with Sofar Sounds to offer "secret" live concerts.

“We want to be the venue for community organizations to host their event,” he says.

Green Spaces Market, 2590 Walnut Street, launches Saturday, April 1, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Regular hours will be from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. For more information, visit greenspacesmarket.com.