The shop at 1640 Sherman Street was the second iteration of Purple Door Cafe, the social enterprise of Dry Bones Denver that serves young adults experiencing homelessness, and used the coffee shop and wholesale roasting business to provide job training. Purple Door had closed its original cafe on Welton Street back in 2019 in order to focus on roasting, but got back into the game after the Central Presbyterian Church presented an opportunity to operate out of a space there. Challenges inspired the nonprofit to reevaluate and refocus, however, and it ultimately discontinued coffee programming and closed the shop and roasting operations, as the nonprofit reported in a heartfelt post on February 24:
"After 13 years of transformation, growth, and deep impact, Purple Door, as a coffee business, will close at the end of this month.... While Purple Door has been an incredible vessel for transformation, the challenges of running a social enterprise coffee business in today’s market has become increasingly complex. Among other factors, rising coffee prices, escalating cost of goods, and difficulty in reaching sales goals — combined with the evolving needs of the young people we serve — have led us to a decision rooted in love and sustainability. We will be transitioning away from the coffee industry to focus on what we do best: creating spaces where transformation and belonging thrive.
"Our job-readiness programming will continue, evolving into a more flexible, cost-effective model that better meets the complex realities of the young people we serve. We are once again stepping through the threshold into something new—adapting, evolving and experimenting to find the best ways to support young people on their journey. The heart of Purple Door remains.
"And, in true full-circle fashion, we’re overjoyed that another social enterprise — one with strong infrastructure and a mission deeply aligned with ours — will be filling our beloved Sherman Street coffee shop! We’re honored to pass the keys over to our kindred partners at Prodigy Ventures, where the work of empowerment and opportunity among underserved teens and young adults will continue."
The new space will be used to further Prodigy's mission to help young adults receive job training.
Prodigy Coffeehouse
"Year over year, we're seeing tremendous increase in applications, so we were looking at expansion. But with another buildout comes uncertainty in building materials, etc.," says executive director Jeslin Shahrezaei. "It was starting to feel like a long-term plan, even though need was now, so we're honored [Purple Door] thought of us. We are not going to get offered this opportunity... to take over a turnkey operation again."
The 2,000-square-foot space came equipped with everything needed for a coffee shop, so with some revamping and licensing, the space was ready to go. In addition to serving house-roasted coffee with partner Strava, the Prodigy shops offer pastries as well as locally-sourced breakfast tortas, burritos, handheld waffles and lunch options.
Along with operating cafes, Prodigy has gotten into roasting coffee and brewing up syrups as ways to provide youth with more experience, and the new shop will add even more jobs. Apprentices who have graduated can apply for continued work at the Uptown spot, where they'll receive hands-on managerial experience, including instruction in staffing, pricing and merchandising.
"The way we’re approaching the third shop is it becomes more reflective of a real work experience — high expectations and more autonomy, but still high support," says Shahrezaei.
Celebrate one (purple) door closing and another opening from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 9, at the new Prodigy, with special guest speakers — even the mayor will be in attendance.
Prodigy Uptown, at 1640 Sherman Street, will be open weekdays from 6:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. starting May 10. Learn more at prodigyventures.org
