What do you get when you pair 22,000 square feet, with a network of 65 different service providers, one of the only fully organic cafe concepts in Denver and a mission-driven organization lead by three powerhouse humans? Nurture, a place where food, beauty and wellness meet.
Glasses are clinking all around, food is flying off the kitchen line and guests are buzzing with a sense of normalcy, connection and excitement at Nurture’s Sunday Service. The sound healing has just wrapped up and the first day of brunch is in full swing. By the looks on everyone’s faces and their plates that have been licked clean, Nest Café’s Culinary Director and wholistic health practitioner Elisabeth Woodard has once again knocked her menu out of the park. All her recipes are based on functional nutrition, skipping refined sugars and icky oils, made with ten ingredients or less, largely plant based and made from scratch in-house, including their baked goods.
Compassion, Quality, Community and Experience are the core values at Nurture, and once you walk through the doors these four pillars are evident everywhere. A concept born from the question “What does self-care mean to you?” discovered that it means a lot of different things to people: movement and fitness, clean food, mental health support, beauty routines, conscious products and affordable on-site childcare to be able to do these things were the clear winners.
The Nurture concept has been in the making for over three years, and partners Peter Strauss, Nikki Dority and Kelly Campbell have truly been put to the test in getting to this moment. Their original grand opening was set for March 23, 2020, but of course COVID-19 had other plans.
Having to come full stop just shy of their opening was heartbreaking for all involved, and yet Campbell describes the experience as one that’s she ultimately really grateful for. “It forced us to slow down and plant our roots. We were given the chance to really dig into who we are as a leadership team, lean into what our core values are and have that authentically come through for our internal community so that we could show up better for the external community once we were able to open the doors.”
Thanks to Boss Architecture, the design elements of the space create a visceral experience that is both welcoming and eye-popping. The building was formerly Escuela Tlatelolco, a dual-language charter school, and in 2016 had its doors closed by Denver Public Schools after 47 years of incredible service to the community. “The community was devastated. We’re really mindful of that and are working hard to make sure we’re accessible for everyone. We have a vision of supporting our community with a new concept and honoring those who came before us and served. We want the activist legacy of Corky Gonzalez and his Escuela Tlatelolco to live on through our partnerships and programming.”
In discussing all the roadblocks that they have had to rise above in their journey to open, Peter Strauss remarks that as a team their challenge tolerance is through the roof, but that’s also what’s made their partnership so strong.
When asked about the essence of Nurture, Strauss responded: “We’re humans, we’re messy. We all have our issues, we all have our struggles and we all need to be supported in our self-care. Sometimes it looks like going to a fitness class, other times it looks like getting your hair done and often it looks like talking with people who can support you in your journey. Nurture is more than just a place; it’s a platform to hold space for people and their self-care, to address tough issues with love and a community where you can be autonomous yet connected.”
The Nurture collective is made up of over 65 service providers, ranging from chiropractors and massage therapists to Reiki healers and transition coaches. Fitness and movement options are covered with everything from spin classes by Rhythm Revolution to restorative yoga. Pampering is always an option at Dew, the organic hair salon along with several medical aesthetic options down the hall from the Herbalism Roots Apothecary. Visitors can even scratch their retail therapy itch by shopping along the first floor at a plant shop, CBD store and more.
Check out visitnurture.com to see the many ways this space will welcome you with open arms and provide you with services, programs, products and people to help you take the best care of yourself, however you choose to define that.
Photos courtesy of Nurture.
Shenna Jean is a Vision Advisor that helps individuals and teams shift mindsets, align with a vision, and create a strategy to step into their full potential. She is the host of the @makeonedayhappen podcast, which is designed to educate, inspire and empower people towards making their one day happen. Based in Denver, Colorado, Shenna spends her free time eating tacos, drinking rosé, reading personal development books and getting outside to play.
Originally published in the Winter + Spring 2020-21 issue of CO YOGA + Life Magazine.
