Checkout: St. Vrain Market thrills tourists while strengthening a small community

Nestled between Boulder and Estes Park, the town of Lyons, Colorado, serves as a gateway to purple mountains majesty. Hordes of tourists descend on the picturesque little community every spring, summer and fall to catch live music, hike, bike, fish or tube the chilly St. Vrain Creek that zigzags through town. Plus, most folks driving from the Denver metro or southern I-25 corridor will pass through Lyons on their way to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Whether Lyons is the final destination or just a pit stop, thousands of travelers pop into the St. Vrain Market, perched at the busy corner of Main Street and Fifth Avenue. Though the building dates back 1800s and has spent much of its life as a grocery store—the town’s only grocery store—the market got a serious glow-up in 2009. That’s when Lyons residents Neil and Connie Sullivan purchased the business, transforming it into the bustling natural grocer, deli and bakery it is today.

But the Sullivans didn’t embark on this journey just to delight tourists. They wanted to provide a stable, year-round source of healthy natural, organic and locally produced foods for their own community while building up a strong anchor business to bolster the town. Now 15 years in, it’s clear that the Sullivans have succeeded—and they’re only getting started.

Related:Checkout: Mountain Avenue Market supports community—and vice-versa

Neil Sullivan, co-owner of the St. Vrain Market in Lyons, Colorado, offers a colorful selection of produce, flowers and more. Credit: St. Vrain Market

What inspired you to purchase the St. Vrain Market in 2009?

Neil Sullivan: The main reason my wife and I purchased this business in this community is because Lyons is really special. It’s a beautiful river-borderline-mountain town that’s somewhat isolated from larger metropolitan areas. Small towns like this, from our experience, really need to be self-sustainable.

When we purchased the business, it was called the St. Vrain Market, but it was kind of a grungy convenience store, very rundown. There was no sense of pride about it, and there were no healthy food options in town from a grocery standpoint. So the business was both an eyesore and an opportunity. From day one, our mission was to turn this thing around and focus on building community through an anchor business.

Did you have any previous food or retail experience?

NS: The funny thing is my first job, at age 14 or 15, was at a high-end organic grocery store back East, where I grew up. I loved being around all the food, and I learned a lot of trades, including butchery. Life has a way of coming full circle. Fast-forward 40 years, and here I am cutting meat and making sausage at my own little market.

Were you eager to get back into the grocery business?

NS: We didn’t say, “hey, we’d love to be in the grocery business” or “hey, I’d love to go back in time and start cutting meat again.” My wife and I both had full-time careers. We were in the process of adopting children and starting a family. We’d recently moved from Boulder to Lyons. There was a ton going on.

But this town really needed something to call its own and be proud of. I jokingly blame my wife because it was her idea initially to purchase the business. She had a lot of experience in inventory-type businesses, so she felt comfortable that [this] was something we could succeed in.

Well, she was right! What is St. Vrain Market best known for?

NS: Number one, our deli is extremely popular. We use very select antibiotic-free and nitrate-free meats and cheeses, and we make what we’ve been told are the best deli sandwiches on the planet. People who travel to Colorado every year say we’re a must-stop. We are also well known for our in-house bakery and artisan breads. We employ five full-time bakers and truly make everything from scratch, which is rare these days.

Third, our meat. I’m very selective about who we work with. I [prioritize] understanding how animals are treated, fed and processed and making conscious choices for our customers. That translates into quality. Customers tell us they are blown away by the quality of meats and seafood that we bring into the store.

Do you carry lots of local items?

NS: We do. We try to focus on Colorado-made products, especially in perishables. Our primary dairy options are local. For a lot of our produce, we work with local farmers and co-ops, and it’s very rewarding to build those relationships and get to know them as families and partners.

When selecting produce to sell in your store, what attributes do you look for? 

NS: As you know, produce is highly perishable; thus, we need partners who can deliver frequently, and their products must be fresh. However, our top two criteria when purchasing produce are: one, organic; two, local if possible. We have a couple of Colorado-based organic produce suppliers who are dependable. Seasonally, we partner with local farms for periodic produce. When I say periodic, sometimes smaller farms have difficulty keeping up with our higher demand needs, and they also are typically only seasonal. Thus, we tend to use smaller local farms in the summer and fall.

How do you develop relationships with growers?

NS: Over 15 years in operation, the St. Vrain Market has built a reputation for “local and fresh” (our business tagline) offerings. Thus, farmers typically reach out in the spring and let us know their planted crops, as well as harvest schedule. This allows us to plan for them and focus more on what they have available and when.

Is your business fairly seasonal?

NS: We have tremendous swings. Even after 15 years, it’s still depressingly surprising how slow business is in the winter. We’re not a ski town or a winter destination. We’re a small town, so the locals can’t completely support the business in the winter, just based on headcount. Many businesses in Lyons don’t make it because it’s really like running two different businesses. Our revenues are less than half in the winter. So it’s very challenging, but once you figure it out, you can do good project work in the off-season.

Do you and your wife still have careers outside of the market?

NS: My wife does; I don’t. I maintained my full-time career at first because this business really needed funding help. Then, probably eight years ago, the firm I was helping to run [was sold]. We had turned this business around and growth was on track, and I felt it would really benefit from an owner-operator model. I took the opportunity to leave my career and jump in with both feet, and it has been fantastic and very rewarding.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

NS: One of the most fun things I’ve done over the last 14 years is raise two kids. I’m part of a terrific family. Both kids just graduated high school, and they’ve worked in the market since they were young. It has been fun to bring family into the business. My wife and I are also avid athletes, and we do a lot of hiking and just enjoying the lovely state we live in.

Has either kid expressed interest in taking over the market someday?

NS: Yes and no. They both declared business as their [college] major. I do think they’ve been influenced and, hopefully, inspired by seeing the inside of a business and how it’s run. But when I joke with them about when they’re going to take it over, they roll their eyes and say “never.”

I take from that a bit of sarcasm. But the sincerity side of it is they see what it takes to run a small independent business like this, and it’s a lot of work. It’s literally 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. You are the business—the face, the voice, the back of it. There is nobody in a corporate office saying “I’ll take responsibility.” I think my kids are a bit fearful of the commitment.

When you look back at 15 years in business, what makes you proudest?

NS: Far and away, it’s that we’ve accomplished our mission and that we challenge ourselves to continue accomplishing our mission, which is to build community. This is about strength in numbers. If we’re a strong business in this community, then, regardless of what we sell, we’re building strength for other businesses to come up behind us and alongside us. We’re also providing viable employment and food for the community, so we’re strengthening this community.

St. Vrain Market
stvrainmarket.com

455 Main St.
Lyons, CO 80540
303.823.5225