Ryan Cobbins doesn’t want to give up on Five Points yet.
The owner of Coffee at the Point, which opened at 710 E. 26th St. in 2010, temporarily closed the shop’s doors in August, due to rising vendor debts and an ongoing legal battle with Cobbins’ former friend and business partner Matthew Burkett, the CEO of The Flyfisher Group. Cobbins even considered selling his stake in the business for a time.
But he plans to reopen Coffee at the Point in two weeks, only serving drinks and coffee. No food.
Cobbins originally planned to reopen in mid-September, but he extended the pause in hopes that the lawsuit with Burkett would be resolved, and to take a much needed break.
“I needed more time to reflect,” Cobbins said. “I’ve been on call every day for the last 10 years. Even on trips to Disney World in Florida with my two daughters, I would spend most of my time on the phone.”
Cobbins had planned to do some renovations during the break, but with no active revenue and an expensive legal battle, he postponed that work.
“There aren’t a lot of other spaces around here, where people in the community can come and have a comfortable space to visit outside of their home, so I just want to reopen for them,” he said.
Cobbins started a GoFundMe campaign to help reopen the business, much like his former neighbor Welton Street Cafe. He’s raised $10,959 as of Monday with a goal of $56,052.
Eli Imadali, Special to The Denver Post
Former Pure Hospitality president of operations Ryan Cobbins, left, and Matthew Burkett, founder of The Flyfisher Group, before a legal issue developed between them. (Eli Imadali, Special to The Denver Post)
In 2020, Cobbins and Burkett signed a partnership agreement that gave Burkett an ownership stake in Coffee at The Point. It also included a salaried position for Cobbins at Pure Hospitality, the culinary arm of The Flyfisher Group, which was then preparing to open several new establishments in the neighborhood, plus money to remodel the coffee shop, Cobbins said.
After some disagreements between the two, the partnership was dissolved. But in March, Burkett filed suit in Denver District Court against Cobbins, claiming he had breached their original agreement. The lawsuit is ongoing, but Cobbins said a potential resolution is coming soon.
“I want to get back to some form of normalcy,” said Cobbins. “This situation has not only been hard on my business, but also my family life.”
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