It was August, 2009. Lehman Brothers had fallen. It felt like the world was ending and nothing would ever be the same. All over the country, businesses were collapsing. People lost homes and jobs and retirement savings. We needed a beacon of hope, a place for people to gather, the opportunity for shared experience, and a sign that life would, indeed, go on.

In response to the crisis, the partners who formed La Tienda agreed. They would do something that would make a difference, build something from the ashes, and find meaningful ways to give back to a community that had given them so much.

Thirteen courageous business owners joined with them and pledged to support their vision and, in December, 2009, La Tienda was born.

It centered on three words – Connection, Convenience, and Enrichment – and began the daunting task of building community-focused businesses in the middle of the great recession. It wasn’t easy. There were 17 hour days and sleepless nights. There was a snow storm so heavy the plows couldn’t make it out and a burst pipe that flooded The Performance Space. There were businesses that wobbled and made it and businesses that wobbled and failed. Through it all, La Tienda maintained the conviction that business has a responsibility to the community it serves.

Now, eight years later, La Tienda is thriving, but it still finds ways to give back every day. From the dog park it built to the Farmers Market it supports, La Tienda is home to more than the sixteen terrific businesses that operate in it. The center supports Eldorado/285 Recycles, Sing Eldorado, Different Drummers Drum Circle, and many other local, community endeavors. It opens its doors in times of need, from hosting the VGPL Book Sale before the library expanded to managing donation efforts when an Eldorado family lost their home.

La Tienda is proud to be a vital part of the community and enormously grateful for the support it receives.

We are also grateful to Daniel Quat for providing most of the photographs for this site.