After a Year of Delays, Bakery and Plant Shop GetRight's Is Opening in Wheat Ridge

Matt Dulin and his wife, Lindsey Judd, signed the lease for the space at 6985 West 38th Avenue in Wheat Ridge in January 2022, expecting to open their bakery/plant shop by June.

But permitting delays pushed that date back — way back. "There was one guy, in particular, that was causing a lot of chaos," Dulin says. "He's no longer with the company" that Wheat Ridge uses for its reviewers and inspectors, he adds.

Nearly a year behind schedule, GetRight's finally set to debut on May 19. The business got its start as a cottage bakery during the pandemic, gaining a loyal following that Dulin has worked to maintain during the past eleven months of delays. "Because we were stalled here, I was freaking out because we needed to make money. So we went really hard on pop-ups and kept building," he says.
But that endeavor proved tiresome. "It was a sixteen-hour prep day followed by an eighteen-hour, non-stop cooking day, and that was to get to a pop-up that would only last an hour and a half. So it got to the point where it just wasn't even manageable," Dulin explains.

Instead, he leaned into collaborations, which led to a backyard dinner series that he hosted with guest chefs. "It was a way to diversify the workload," Dulin says. "We found this cool way to navigate and be a part of the community in a way that, two years ago, wasn't even a thought. All of a sudden, it opens up into this thing that you didn't even know was there. That's been the nature of this business; you just follow the momentum."

Fortunately, that natural progression aligned with Dulin's larger vision. "I don't want to be just a bakery, or a plant shop. Ideally, I want it to feel like friends and community, and this whole thing is built from that," he says. "Looking back on it now, that year was great for the building phase of everything."
For its grand opening on May 19, Dulin is planning to focus on the foundational items that have become GetRight's staples, like croissants, tarts, Basque cheesecake and canelés, along with breads such as sourdough, foccacia, baguettes, brioche and whole wheat. He also plans to serve breakfast sandwiches. "What I really don't want is for people to wait in line, order food, and then wait again," he says, so he's hoping to dial in a system that allows for a more grab-and-go process, while still offering freshly made items.

"For lunch, we want to go big on sandwiches and Roman pizzas" along with cold salads stocked in a refrigerated case, he says. "Imagine some kind of cross between old school deli and Whole Foods salad bar buffet." Expect options like roasted vegetables and corn salad that you can pair with a loaf of bread for an easy meal or picnic, he suggests.

Dulin also plans to fill the space with plenty of plants for sale. "The plants were really just a fun thought at first and the more that I thought about it, the more it kind of made sense," he says. Bakeries typically slow down in the spring and summer when temperatures rise; he hopes that plant sales will keep revenue coming in. "And that'll keep employees with hours and training in a different area that's not just food-oriented," he adds. "Ideally, I'd love for everyone to have a day when they're not just slaving away in the kitchen all the time. I know I need some kind of mental break or re-calibration in order to stay fresh and focus."
Adds Dulin: "I feel like the last two years have been so much collaboration with outside vendors; I think it showed everyone that you can mix up your offerings and people actually like it more."

He plans to mix things up by bringing back the backyard dinners this summer — only this time, the events will be hosted on the roof above the bakery, which has a view of the Rocky Mountains. "I'm trying to figure out how to get out-of-state chefs here," he says.

Guests at the dinners will be seated at large tables alongside the people making the food, a twist that makes the series unlike similar events. "The coolest thing to watch was the chefs and cooks learn how to interact and sit at that table," Dulin says. "So many times, even at the most intimate dining experiences, your only words are, 'Hey, guys, how was everything.'"

Connection is key at these dinners, and Dulin wants to continue to foster that kind of environment: "The thing that was great is that it showed that humanity still exists. ...By the end of it, you didn't know who was friends, who came together. Food is the medium where it blends, and everyone leaves and they're all friends."
Dulin hopes to launch a small farmers' market in part of the Colorado Plus Brew Pub parking lot next door, too. "How do we turn this into a block party, essentially, every Sunday?" he says of his vision for the event. The goal is to support other small businesses and complement the brewery, his bakery and Stylus & Crate, the nearby coffee shop. Currently, Dulin is navigating yet another permitting process to bring that idea to life.

"It feels better, when more and more crazy stuff is happening in the world, to actively try to do something good," Dulin says. "Life is fragile, no matter what. So we've got to figure out a way to maximize our time. And I think more and more, that's becoming an option in our industry."

In the future, he says, he may look into getting a liquor license for GetRight's so that it can sell wine and other boozy beverages that pair well with picnic-ready fare. But for now, he's just excited to finally open and to see people react to the concept. "I just want people to get shaken out of their shit and be here when they're here. So if it's just the right amount of overwhelming stuff, it pulls them out of whatever they bring with them and they can just be here for a minute," he says.

Despite all the challenges he faced throughout the past year, "I think in the grand scheme, time has been great," he concludes. "Even though it's been uncomfortable."

GetRight's will open on Friday, May 19, at 6985 West 38th Avenue in Wheat Ridge. Find more information here.