Now, about a year and a half since doors opened, they’re leaning into the “Collaborative” part of their venture’s name, partnering with Other Dog, a plant-based hot dog stand by the Easy Vegan, and Queen City Collective Coffee, which Westword recently named one of the ten best coffee shops in Denver.
Starting Saturday, April 13, they'll be joined by the Mercantile, a marketplace comprising nine small businesses. “Across the board, there are women-owned, queer-owned, BIPOC-owned, disabled-owned and trans-owned [vendors],” says Day.
Community and supporting women and underrepresented groups have been at the core of Town Hall’s mission since Day and Beno began developing it in 2019. The two met while working together in the corporate marketing world and, according to Day, are both “total entrepreneurs at heart.”
Day explains that when Town Hall first launched, it was open all day and featured a full bar and its own coffee shop. But the co-owners soon shut down coffee service to prioritize events. “We had this hunch that people were going to be looking for places to host communities that had developed [during the pandemic]," she says.
Town Hall Collaborative hosted over 300 events in its first year, from community-centered meet-ups, art openings and music showcases to corporate parties and more than a dozen weddings. "There was still space, believe it or not, because most of our events were happening in the evening or late afternoon," Day says.
One of its earliest hosted events, Big Queer Beerfest, connected Day and Beno to the co-founders of the Easy Vegan, Alexi Mandolini and Taylor Herbert. “They've become dear friends of ours and have been a part of Town Hall since the beginning,” affirms Day. “We adore everything that they do and hosted every single one of their watch parties when they were on The Great Food Truck Race.”
When Mandolini and Herbert began dreaming up Other Dog, launching at Town Hall made perfect sense. The vegan food stand serves plant-based hot dogs with unique and regionally inspired toppings, including classic Chicago-style dogs and loaded potato dogs made with sriracha aioli and garlicky sour cream. Deli sides like pasta salad with fire-roasted corn and green chile and potato salad finished with chili oil add to the selection, as do fat slices of fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cake. Italian ices will become available in May, and the menu will rotate frequently. As long as supplies last, Other Dog operates on Thursdays through Saturdays from 4 to 9 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.
Day says that a lot of thought and intention went into selecting partners. “We’re always thinking, who is mission-aligned? Who shares the same types of dreams that we do and cares about community the same way that we do?” she explains.
Other Dog checked those boxes, and Queen City Collective Coffee was, according to Day, also “top of the list.”
Beno, a denizen of the Baker neighborhood, often frequented the space Queen City shared with Novel Strand Brewery. Just before it closed at the end of March, she and Day approached the coffee shop’s co-owners, Scott, Luke and Eric Byington, inquiring about their interest in a partnership. "It was serendipitous,” Scott told Westword of the opportunity.
The Town Hall location exclusively offers Queen City's popular ube latte as well as other coffee and tea beverages, plus vegan and regular pastries from Pandemic Donuts. Day adds that in her opinion, the Byingtons have hired a really great staff, which is another reason she was drawn to the brand. Queen City at Town Hall is open from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Queen City’s latest location inside Town Hall Collaborative.
Becky Duffy Creative / Town Hall Collaborative
Day notes that the nine vendors will “be part of Town Hall for at least six months, but hopefully longer” and will offer “a range of jewelry, plants, flowers, books, cocktail bitters, clothes, home goods [and] candles.” Various art pieces will also be available, as will a zero-waste shop. The Mercantile's normal hours will be 1 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays.
Alongside all of the new developments, Town Hall continues to host private and public events. Its current calendar includes a queer wedding showcase on April 21, which will feature queer-owned and allied wedding vendors. SoFar Sounds, which holds Denver’s “best secret concerts,” will hold an event on April 24, and Town Hall will host its Divergent Disco on April 27, which Day says is “very near and dear.” She explains, “My oldest son is autistic, and Lauren and I have always wanted to make space for [that community].
“We always wanted to be a space that was activated all the time — not just at night and not just centered around events," she concludes. Now, a visit to Town Hall can be a full-day affair.
