Meet Daphne Downen | Coffee House Proprietor

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

Hi Daphne, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
This is such an easy question for me because I LOVE coffee – It’s my passion. I have been in most aspects of the restaurant business for most of my life and although I had never really thought of owning a coffee shop (that I remembered), this opportunity was presented to me at the right time in my life. I was living in California with a great job but had been looking for a way to move back to my home town in Colorado. I had been away for about 23 years, my parents were getting older and I wanted to be nearer to them as they aged. The thing is, I didn’t just want to move back and get a job. I wanted to give back to the community that had in a sense been responsible for an idylic childhood. My brother in law called one day and told me he had inherited this building at the end of Main Street in my home town and would I be interested in purchasing it. I kid you not… I had wanted this building and fantasized about it since I was a child. My grandmother lived a few blocks away from it and I used to ride my bike around it all the time. Really, if you look at this building you know that only a coffee shop could be here. It’s an old gas station with a cool overhang where people would drive their cars through and stop under the overhang to pump gas. I often came home for holidays and was always disappointed not to be able to get a good cup of coffee and a cozy place to meet friends so, I immediately thought I should open a coffee shop. I made an appointment with a contractor and came back to Colorado to do a walk through to see if was financially feasible. I sat on the corner and counted cars and I crunched numbers. My Dad, a retired Air Force pilot had also been in banking here, literally begged me not to take this risk. We went round and round for weeks but I was fairly set on my decision. It just felt right. So, I went back to California, gave notice and put my house up for sale. Several months later, I packed up and moved back home to Burlington Colorado. A few months after I moved back, I was going through some boxes from my move and came upon a dream journal I had started 20 years ago. The very first page was a vision of a coffee shop with my name on it. So, I guess you could say that the thought process had started 20 years before the reality existed. It was meant to be.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Main Cup coffee house is a small coffee house sitting at the north end of Main Street in the small town of Burlington Colorado located in a renovated 1890’s gas station. We have been in business for 17 years. I wanted to open a coffee house that would stand out in not only serving the very best coffee, but also having the most aesthecially pleasing atmostphere. I wanted every single person who walked in the door to feel comfortable so I worked really hard on creating a space where farmers with muddy boots as well as dressed up women could come and feel welcome. Additionally, prior to opening my family and I tasted and tested coffee from over 40 roasters from all over the country. 17 years later we still have the same roaster. The Main Cup has deep warm colors with a lot of copper, the very best music, and truly, the very best coffee and espresso for miles. When I first opened, we had seating for about 15 upstairs and a large seating area with books and games in what used to be the garage portion of the building two steps down and two outdoor patios that can seat a total of 18. About 6 years after I first opened, I felt that that the large indoor seating area wasn’t being used as much as I thought it should be so I converted that space into a very eclectic retail gift store called The Brass Trunk. We carry goods from all over the world as well as top name brands and quite a few products made right here in Colorado. One of the most challenging hurdles has been the impact of COVID and getting shut down. I know this sounds a bit strange but I really feel that COVID made both me and my business stronger. It spurned creativity. I converted one of our windows into a drive through and sold iced coffee in 16 and 24 oz. reusable bottles. Customers would order the day before and pick them up the next day through the drive through. They would then drop them off and I would refill them for the next day.
The arrival of Starbucks in a Safeway right off I-70 has been the biggest challenge for obvious reasons. We have always been on point with coffee industry trends and this has helped compete a great deal and our small community has been massively supportive so I’m hoping to weather this as well.
I want the world to know that there are small businesses everywhere that are passionate about what they do, are really good at what they do and that by doing business with them, you are perpetuating the American dream.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Burlington Colorado. Day One: Wake up and go to The Main Cup for your favorite latte and do a little shopping in The Brass Trunk. Next, head down the street to Health Essentials on Main Street to pick up some fantastic cheese, salami and olive oil and maybe some all natural supplements. You could also stop in to see a Nurse Practitioner is you needed to. Next go to the Kit Carson County Carousel which is on the National Historic Registry and one of only two of its kind in the US. Lunch at Panderia mexican restaurant. After lunch I might take you for a swim at the City swimming pool. Dinner at The Dish Room. Day Two: Wake up and go to The Main Cup for coffee and more of The Brass Trunk then head down to Old Town – a literal old town made from buildings brought in from the country or ressurected to look like them and tour the museum. Lunch at Tequilla’s mexican restaurant. Next, Zimblemans Jewlry Store and dinner at The Post Bar and Grill . Day three: Wake up and get your coffee at The Main Cup. Shop at Main Stree Home Furnishings and the hit the splash park at the city park and maybe go out to what used to be the Bonny State Reservoir and have picnic there. Shop at Williams Garden and dinner at Spices on The Green. Day four: Wake up and go for coffee at The Main Cup, take a drive around town to show you some history and historic buildings. Lunch at The Farm Grill and dinner again at The Dish Room. We will go see a movie at our amazing theater that was recently renovated. Day Five: Wake up and hit The Main Cup for coffee and do a little more shopping on Main Street at The Shaman Shoppe and Koda Floral. Say goodbye.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The people in my life deserving the most recognition for my success is most definately my family. My parents Don and Pat Downen, my sister Debbie and her husband Donnie, my sister Tinker and her husband Kelly and sons Reece and Conor, my sister Kelly and her husband Nathan and their son Baylor. Each one has left their indelible mark in craftsmanship, inspiration and support on my business. AND, the amazing support of our small community.

Instagram: themaincup.burlington

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maincuponmain/