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Named after the English poet, historic Tennyson Street lies in the heart of the Berkeley neighborhood in northwest Denver. From humble beginnings in 1863, the area has grown and evolved over the years but has always retained a unique charm that offers the perfect setting for local businesses to thrive.
Streets like these continue to prove their importance to the character of local communities, and, as we celebrate Small Business Month, we’re showcasing just a few of the incredible people behind the indie shops that keep these neighborhoods so vibrant.
Are you a Denver local? Don’t miss Indie Retail Fest on Saturday, June 1, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., where you can expect live music, special in-store events, drinks, food trucks, and more fun surprises.
The Tennyson Street Rolodex
Nicole Schnitzlein, Owner, Lady Jones
Find your next: Well-curated space with some super friendly faces. Staples for serious everyday wear and styles for those more notable occasions. We’re also low-key jewelry addicts, and there’s always something new.
How it started: After college, I found myself living in a ski town and working in a boutique setting. I decided to take it for a spin for myself in 2016 after moving to Denver. At the time, it felt like there was a need for our product assortment as the city was growing and the neighborhood was changing. I quit my job, trusted my gut (most days), signed a lease, and went for it.
Shop values: We provide an elegant edge to everyday style in an environment that is welcoming, inclusive, and down to earth.
Why Tennyson Street: Northwest Denver is my home! Tennyson has seen so much incredible growth since I opened, and it’s all in line with what I love. The businesses are local, the vibe is eclectic, and our neighbors are passionate about where they live. It’s just the best … but I’m a bit biased!
Shopping local means: It’s whole-heartedly all about our community. Small businesses bring vibrancy, passion, and real-life connection to their neighborhoods. The impact that your support has is so tangible. When you support local people, the ripple effect is real—we are here to give that support right back and stay invested in keeping the pulse of our community strong.
Calli Swofford, Owner, Miller Lane Mercantile
Find your next: Our shop features unique and highly curated home decor, kitchen goods, gourmet pantry items, and much more that will seamlessly fit into your home (or make amazing gifts!). We aim to bridge the gap between aspirational and attainable.
How it started: I’ve been a small business enthusiast and lover of brick-and-mortar shops since I had my first job working at a surf shop in my hometown of East Hampton, New York. After living in New York City for years after college, my husband and I decided to (quite spontaneously) move to Denver, and I soon realized how supportive this city was to small businesses, and women-led businesses in particular. After spotting the perfect storefront on a neighborhood walk, I opened Miller Lane Mercantile in 2019 and never looked back.
Shop values: Miller Lane Mercantile was founded with the idea of celebrating simple, well-made goods to gift, use, and cherish. We’re proud to be a woman-owned and -operated independent business on Denver’s lively Tennyson Street.
Why Tennyson Street: After having lived in the Denver Highlands for many years, I knew what a special community Tennyson was built on. The way locals show up for neighborhood events, flood the streets during First Fridays, and rally behind businesses new and old, there was no place I would have rather brought my “shop gal” dreams to reality.
Shopping local means: Evoking feelings of connectedness, pride, and camaraderie you can’t find elsewhere. Local businesses truly are the heart of the neighborhoods they inhabit and what makes them each so unique.
Brittany Iseli, Owner, JOY FILL
Find your next: Refillable and sustainable cleaning, personal care, and beauty products. What sets us apart is choice—we provide various scents, price points, brands, and products (all refillable!), ensuring there’s something for everyone.
How it started: I found myself at a crossroads in my career and really wanted to find something more fulfilling. My husband and I embarked on a journey to lead a more sustainable lifestyle, but we struggled to find resources nearby. Inspired by refill shops I encountered in other areas of the world, I took the leap to open a refill shop in our neighborhood, driven by a desire to make sustainable living accessible and convenient for my community.
Shop values: Sustainability shouldn’t be dull or limiting, so we offer an exciting range of options to make mindful shopping enjoyable and accessible to all. We’re here to enhance your eco-friendly lifestyle and fill you with JOY in the process.
Why Tennyson Street: I’ve been a resident of the Tennyson Street neighborhood for several years, making it a natural decision to establish my storefront here. The diverse array of retail shops and restaurants, each run by passionate small business owners, has always resonated with me.
Shopping local means: Investing in the heart and soul of our community. As a small business owner, I know firsthand the dedication behind each storefront. It’s about supporting our neighborhood’s unique character, creating jobs, and fostering connections. Every dollar spent locally enriches our community, ensuring it remains a place we’re proud to call home.
Katie Carrera, Owner, Fern and Bloom
Find your next: Indoor houseplants, unique gift items, and fresh, locally grown flowers.
How it started: I always dreamed of opening my own space for flowers and was thrilled to be able to achieve this in October 2020 in the community I also call home. To live and work in this north Denver neighborhood is a dream come true.
Shop values: As a full-service floral shop, we focus on sustainability—supplying locally grown flowers and products that are made in small batches or by women-owned maker shops. We want to provide a beautiful and welcoming space for all who come in.
Why Tennyson Street: I’ve called this neighborhood home for many years and will always love the history of the street and quiet nature of the area.
Shopping local means: Keeping the local economy supported by having a lighter carbon footprint and supporting other makers who live within a 50-mile radius.
Rachel Woolcott, Founder, and Gabe Hernan, Partner, Wooly Wax
Find your next: Beautiful scents in a fun, warm, welcoming atmosphere.
How it started: As a professional chef devoted to flavor and experience, Rachel transferred decades of expertise into another profession dedicated to memory-making: scent. Her love for creating mood and energy is apparent in each unique formulation, whether it be exploring aromatic spices like juniper berry and angelica seed or perfecting how a layer of mint might be the perfect complement to a base of lavender.
Shop values: We marry the simplicity of fashioning pure, small-batch, hand-poured goods with the intricacy of a sensory experience, developing exquisite scents that evoke emotion and memory. Woman-owned with an all-female staff, we believe small business should be joyful and fun!
Why Tennyson Street: Scent is personal and best experienced offline. We love being able to bring a curated experience to the vibrant Tennyson community.
Shopping local means: As a company committed to clean, healthy, organic wellness products, the environmental advantages of staying local are clear. Our community of businesses, friends, and neighbors is the reason we come to work every day.
Anna Bernhardt and Nathan Samsel, Co-Owners and Operators, Overgrown Home
Find your next: Houseplants for any plant parent’s home and lifestyle, stylish and functional accessories, and locally made pottery, candles, and art.
How it started: Our shop grew out of our passion for collecting uncommon houseplants together and finding a gap in the Denver market. We started selling plants out of our living room, importing hard-to-find specimens, and Overgrown Home was born.
Shop values: As plant collectors first and foremost, we began selling plants out of a desire to offer our community diverse, healthy plants at reasonable prices—and that has been our guiding philosophy ever since.
Why Tennyson Street: Tennyson Street is a vibrant collective of locally owned and community-driven businesses that care about their neighbors. The diverse range of restaurants, retail, and other businesses make the neighborhood what it is. We live here and hold the area near and dear to our hearts.
Shopping local means: Supporting community members by choosing to support locally owned and operated businesses over larger retailers. Diversity in local businesses is a big part of what makes Tennyson Street and all neighborhood communities special, and shopping local allows that diversity to continue to exist and hopefully thrive for years to come.
Theresa Halliburton and Kristen Kapoor, Cofounders, Flouwer Co.
Find your next: Everything, from garden to gathering! Our offerings include innovative products like artisanal crackers, cocktail cubes, finishing sugars, and garnishing salts to elevate hosting, home dining, and entertaining.
How it started: Flouwer Co. sprouted in 2019 from a unique intersection of passions between two friends. Our journey began when we, Theresa and Kristen, met as neighbors and became fast friends. Our connection was rooted in our enthusiasm for cooking and enjoying lively gatherings, often accompanied by a well-crafted cocktail.
Shop values: Flouwer Co. is the first specialty food and lifestyle company to transform ordinary staples into extraordinary culinary experiences with the vibrancy and fun of edible flowers! Our products empower you to create unforgettable dining moments with unique floral-infused pairings. Bloom Appétit!
Why Tennyson Street: Denver is our hometown, and we both live on the west side, so Tennyson Street is the perfect location. We needed a small kitchen of our own and were lucky enough to find a little gem with a perfect space attached for our first brick-and-mortar spot. The store is a culmination of everything we love and lets us showcase our entire brand line, test new concepts, directly answer customer questions, and provide floral-infused inspiration all in one spot!
Shopping local means: Finding unique and quality products from small artisans with a story to tell. In an overly connected world, it no longer feels like “shopping local” refers to geography only. Inside our shop, every product feels like a local product now. Help us support these creators because their voices, and products, are so important to the fabric of all small communities and are most deserving of the platform.
Nicole Wolsey-Neech, Owner, Jolly Goods
Find your next: Unique and sometimes snarky gift items for just about anyone in the family. We carry over 50 local artists and a mix of other fun curated gifts.
How it started: We love supporting local artists and providing customers with a unique array of items to choose from and felt that this was lacking in the area, so we opened up Jolly Goods in 2012.
Shop values: We aim to provide a fun and unique neighborhood gift boutique with a special array of items for customers to choose from while we support local artists.
Why Tennyson Street: We’ve always loved northwest Denver and the funky vibe that Tennyson Street has to offer. My great-great-grandparents settled in this area when they came from Italy more than 100 years ago, and my great-grandparents and grandma grew up here—so it just felt natural to keep with the theme and open up a store in the area. I always saw it as a hidden gem.
Shopping local means: Supporting your locally owned stores, getting to know your local shop owners and vice versa. It also means investing in your community and choosing community over convenience—shopping locally where possible and supporting a dream versus a huge corporation.
Britni Jensen, Founder, Wild West Baby Co
Find your next: Cuddly plush toys, treasured baby blankets, perfect onesies, first books, trendy tees, practical essentials, and thoughtful gifts.
How it started: As an expectant mom, I wanted to find a lovely store where I could browse through cute and soft baby products and imagine the excitement of welcoming a new little one into my life. I dreamt of a place filled with soft fabrics, charming stuffed animals, and new toys that I didn’t even know how to use yet. However, it was a challenge to find something that truly captured the essence of this new chapter of life. That’s why I decided to create Wild West Baby Co, a lovely little store where every glance and turn elicits an “aww” and the urge to be engulfed in baby magic.
Shop values: We’re dedicated to creating a haven for expectant parents and families, where the joy, excitement, and wonder of welcoming a new little one are celebrated at every turn. We strive to offer a curated selection of the highest-quality baby products that blend functionality with irresistible charm, providing parents with peace of mind and moments of pure delight as they navigate the journey of parenthood.
Why Tennyson Street: Tennyson has blossomed with fun and walkable businesses over the years and really has a fantastic demographic. In all of the locations around Colorado, there is no other neighborhood where the guests genuinely are looking out for our well-being and business success. We have guests who will walk over in a snowstorm to shop because they know that our sales will be down that day. It really is an incredible community.
Shopping local means: Supporting your neighbor, knowing the name of the shop owner, providing jobs to local residents, and feeling good and confident that your purchase is helping to define and support a community.
Koan Goedman, Founder, Huckleberry Roasters
Find your next: Lively coffee shop buzzing with regulars and locals, tourists and global travelers, all coming together around the simple yet timeless routine of drinking coffee.
How it started: Founded in 2011 in Denver, HUCK (as it is known to locals) operates on the foundational belief that business should build a sense of collective culture and community by investing in people. We are proud coffee people driven to better the lives of everyone we engage with, from our customers and our employees to our coffee producer partners and the communities in which we work and play.
Shop values: At HUCK, our passion is people and our mission is coffee. We believe that connecting coffee and people makes today great and tomorrow better—locally and globally.
Why Tennyson Street: Tennyson Street in the Berkeley neighborhood is just a delightful place: Lots of people live here and support their local operators! We also loved the idea of being a locally grown company holding it down on a street that has a lot of national activity on it.
Shopping local means: Exploring a city, understanding its people, and experiencing its culture. There’s simply no better way to do that than shopping and supporting local businesses.
Jimmy Funkhouser, Owner, FERAL
Find your next: We focus primarily on driving the cost of adventure down by offering Denver’s largest selection of used outdoor goods (while also stocking a substantial selection of new items as well).
How it started: I’ve always been passionate about getting people outside. After becoming disillusioned by a long corporate career, I asked a simple question: “What would you do right now if you weren’t afraid to do it?” I knew immediately that I’d leave my job. FERAL was born less than 90 days later. Since then, we’ve worked hard to create a business that is a reflection of that true passion: helping people create adventure in their lives.
Shop values: Create adventure. Our goal is to make adventure affordable for our community.
Why Tennyson Street: We wanted to operate our business in a neighborhood that truly felt like a small town in a big city. The Berkeley neighborhood and Tennyson Street offer a perfect mix of a walkable residential neighborhood with a vibrant and thriving small business community.
Shopping local means: Supporting your neighbors. It’s truly that simple. We all live here, eat here, and shop here.
