2022 year of growth for downtown business scene

In Laramie, many business owners combated these challenges by reducing their hours or altering their services rather than closing, Sherwood said.

“We hear fanatically that it’s a collaborative ecosystem,” Sherwood said. “Businesses downtown are supportive of one another. I think if you have a business downtown, you want your neighboring business to do well.”

This was descriptive of the experience Brenda Webb and her husband, Steve, had opening their downtown store, Wild West Creations.

The pair upholsters, paints and recreates antique furniture and other home decor. They used to sell their products at Bart’s Flea Market, and opened their storefront in September 2022 after Bart’s closed.

Now, the pair sells clothing and jewelry in addition to the furniture.

“It’s been fun talking to customers and getting to know them,” Brenda Webb said.

Other business owners have helped the pair prepare for busy and slow seasons and maintain their determination to keep working to improve the business, she said.

The close-knit nature of the Laramie community also was a draw for Jordan Anderson, who opened Blue Mountain Bookstore in September 2022.

Anderson started her business out of her basement in January 2022. The entrepreneur had a longtime dream to open a small bookstore like the one in the 1998 romantic comedy ‘You’ve Got Mail.’

In August, she found a space downtown with big windows and natural lighting that was exactly what she’d imagined.

Anderson said she enjoyed the experience of getting to know her regular customers and maintaining a small town feeling.

“It brings in a whole customer base,” Anderson said. “Those people who don’t mind spending a few extra bucks because small businesses can’t give the big discounts that the big chain stores can.”

She said that while it’s been a challenge to juggle keeping viable store hours and honoring family time with her husband and three kids, the store has already garnered positive feedback from the community.

In addition to these stores, the other new businesses to open in Laramie include:

• Bella Blu
• Bejo Dua Sushi & Ramen
• Digital Doctors
• San Luis Mexican Restaurant
• The Collective Center for the Healing Arts
• Link Cycling
• The Zone
• Wyo LifeStim

There also are other new businesses on the way, including Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant and an indoor putt-putt and ax-throwing facility, Sherwood said.

The city of Laramie also recently reached an agreement with a landlord and business owners to bring in a group of chain stores, including Ulta Beauty, Ross and HomeBase USA.

While Sherwood’s focus is on downtown businesses, she said the city of Laramie’s success in bringing in chain stores was also indicative of a healthy economy.

“At the end of the day, any dollar spent in the local community has a larger impact than if that dollar is spent in Colorado or online,” she said.