Meet Josh Davis | Co-Founder of Bodega 38

We had the good fortune of connecting with Josh Davis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Josh, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I’m originally from a small town in Upstate NY. In my experience, growing up in a small town created a balance of humbleness with this feeling of always wanting to do really big things with your life. I watched my dad start a business from nothing and grow it over 35 years to create a sustainable living for his family. His dedication to always doing the right thing by his customers left a lasting impression on me as a kid.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Bodega 38 is an online marketplace designed to make shopping local easy. I had a moment where I walked into my garage and saw a mountain full of amazon boxes. I felt a bit defeated and wanted to change my purchasing habits to support makers in my community. Long story short, I found that shopping local was more difficult than what it needed to be, so my business partner and I built Bodega 38.

It was easier than expected to pitch local businesses to work with us. When we first went from concept to pitch, we had nothing to share. No website, no app, an instagram page with 2 pictures, it was small potatoes (still is). With just a concept, Denver really took us in. We had almost 10 local businesses committed to working with us so we felt like we were on to something.

What’s difficult is making everything work cohesively. I think we thought, “If you build it they will come” and that was not the case for us. It’s hard finding new customers, convincing them you have a product worthy of their time and ultimately purchasing with us. We are still working on this but after pivoting several times, we think we are on to something great.

I want the world to know how important shopping local really is. Without thinking, most of us understand that shopping local is a good thing (which is great!). But did you know that if every house hold in America spent $10 more a month shopping local, we’d generate $9 Billion in economic wealth within the small business community. The data also shows that for every $100 you spend at locally owned businesses, $68 will stay in the community. What happens when you spend that same $100 at a big box retailer? Only $43 stays in the community. There are sustainability efforts as well that shows shopping local is just better overall. Let’s make it easy!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
For most people visiting from out of town, you have to go watch a show at Red Rocks. It’s an incredible experience and worth every penny. Getting out into nature is a must while folks come visit. Where else do you get 300 days of sunshine?!

I’m a big brewery guy and really love a few spots. Little Machine in Jefferson Park is a favorite as well as Our Mutual Friend and Denver Beer Co. My wife claims to have had one of the best cocktails of her life at Death & Co but I can’t say 100% for sure.

I love a good dive bar and live near Colfax, so if you are feeling up to it to, a Colfax crawl to satire lounge, lions lair, and the Squire Lounge to name a few.

Denver has some great spots to eat! My perfect line up would have to be a breakfast breakfast burrito at Santiagos/Gomez Burritos/or Bonfire, grab some lunch at the Denver Central Market, and eat a nice dinner at Dio Mio.

If you want a hotel recommendation, I have to give the Rally Hotel a shoutout as they are a partner of ours!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Several people but I’d have to say my wife and my father. My wife has been by my side and supported my efforts every step of the way. It takes a lot of love, effort, and sacrifice to allow your partner to pursue their passion. I’d also like to give a shout out to my father who installed the confidence in me to pursue building this company. I watched him grow a business from nothing as a kid, so you can say it’s genetic for me.

Website: https://bodega38.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopbodega38/