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Little Man Serves Millionth Scoop

It was an exciting summer for Little Man Ice Cream, which marked six years in its 28-foot-tall Lower Highland home and a number of other milestones.

Since it opened, Little Man has donated one scoop of beans or rice to communities in need around the world for every scoop of ice cream it sells.  In July, Elaine Tamburello, mother of Little Man owner Paul Tamburello, had the honor of serving the shop’s millionth scoop and celebrating Little Man’s donation of one million scoops to developing nations. The celebration included a jazz band, free “little dips” and a philanthropic “market” featuring a variety of non-profits that have benefited from Little Man’s community contributions.

Elaine and Paul Tamburello celebrating Little Man’s millionth scoop

Little Man also grew its brand by leaps and bounds, expanding the number of outlets carrying its products to more than 25 across the metro-area. Perhaps the most prominent member of Little Man’s wholesale program is the Milkbox Ice Creamery at the newly renovated Union Station. The shop carries Little Man’s ice cream exclusively and has been doing brisk business since opening in July.

It’s no surprise to see such great demand for Little’s Man frosty treats given the ice cream maker’s focus on creating unique flavors. Despite a full slate of community events,  Little Man managed to launch a new slate of vegan ice cream flavors this summer, including such creative concoctions as The Bee’s Knees – a blend of vegan banana ice cream, bee-free honey swirl and a mixture of peanut butter-filled pretzels and The Munchies, featuring vegan peanut butter ice cream with chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, almonds, peanuts and marshmallows.
The vegan flavors caught the attention of Everyday host and vegetarian Chris Parente who sampled the ice cream on air.  9News also featured Little Man in a segment on how to make the perfect root beer float. Watch it here.

Next on Little Man’s list is moving into a bigger commissary to give the ice cream maker more room to experiment and meet the public’s appetite for its products. The new facility will also have a tasting room, so fans can sample the latest creations.

Little Man wrapped up its peak season September 28th with its annual Hula Hoop Contest, an event that draws young and old to compete in a fundraising effort for local schools. But don’t forget that the ice cream shop will continue to host the Highland Farmers Market and Artisan Alley from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the first two Fridays in October. Hope to see you there!

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Zocalo Sells Cadence Union Station

Congratulations to Zocalo Community Development, a longtime client of The Stasko Agency, which  sold its Cadence Union Station apartment community last month to an institutional client of Invesco Real Estate. Located at 17th and Chestnut Street, the 219-unit development was the first multi-family project to open in the emerging Union Station neighborhood. Cadence began welcoming its first residents in December and was already 20 percent leased at the time of the sale.

We were lucky enough to tour the building last fall and we’re excited to see Cadence’s upscale amenities – such as a rooftop pool and fitness center and jazz-themed lobby lounge area – take shape. The development also boasts a number of green features, including high-efficiency water fixtures, Energy Star appliances and a recycling and composting program.

The building’s sale captured the attention of both local and national media, including the Denver Business Journal, Denver Post and Multi-Housing News. Zocalo will continue to manage and lease Cadence, which includes studios, one-bedroom units and two-bedroom units, with an average monthly rent of $1,892.

Never a company to rest on its laurels, Zocalo continues to add to the city’s landscape, with the development of 1st and Steele, a new 185-unit apartment community in Cherry Creek and The Grove at Stapleton, a 150-unit project in northeast Denver. Both projects are slated for completion in 2015.

We look forward to working with Zocalo as the company continues to make its mark on Denver.

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Zocalo Opens Leasing Center at Cadence Union Station

It was almost a year ago that we helped Zocalo Community Development announce the groundbreaking of Cadence Union Station, the first apartment project in the budding Union Station neighborhood. We are now excited to report that Cadence’s leasing center is open and the apartment building’s first residents are expected to move in by December. Zocalo has also landed its first retail tenant – an ink! Coffee, which will occupy a 1,655-square-foot space on Cadence’s ground floor.

The Stasko Agency took a tour of the project’s models and encountered light-filled, modern units, offering outdoor space – a rarity in downtown apartment buildings. Check out the photos below.

The view from one of Cadence’s corner units
An open kitchen and dining room provide space to entertain
A bedroom in one of the model units

Cadence is offering studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, ranging from 553-square feet to 1,081-square feet. Units will rent for an average of $1,892 per month and Cadence has already secured leases for one two-bedroom unit and several one-bedroom units. The LEED Gold registered building will offer a number of green amenities as well as a rooftop pool, indoor parking, rooftop fitness center, a lobby-level lounge complete with a kitchen and bar. The rendering below offers a peek at what the finished lobby will look like.

The opening of Cadence leasing center isn’t the only exciting news Zocalo has shared recently. The company announced last week that Director of Real Estate Susan Maxwell has become an equity partner in the Zocalo. We congratulate Susan and look forward to announcing the opening of Cadence in the near future.

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Stasko Agency Adds Clients

I am absolutely thrilled about helping three old friends (who also happen to be successful entrepreneurs ) promote their latest achievements. Pasquini’s Founder Tony Pasquini, David Zucker, principal of Zocalo Community Development and Paris on the Platte Owner Faye Maguire all have very different businesses, but they share a pioneering spirit that I truly admire and I am excited about using my skills to shine the light on what they do.



Last month, The Stasko Agency spread the word about the re-grand opening of Pasquini’s Highland location, which Tony recently acquired. The event drew a big crowd and gave Tony a chance to reconnect with the neighborhood. I’ll also be helping Pasquini’s gain more exposure for the Lone Tree location as well as some new stores that will be coming on line in the next few months.

After a hiatus, The Stasko Agency is once again serving as the agency of record for Zocalo, a builder of sustainable, multi-family projects. On Thursday, we announced the firm’s latest project – a LEED Gold certified, high-rise apartment adjacent to Union Station. The story was picked up by the Denver Post and Inside Real Estate News. I look forward to providing updates on the project and Zocalo’s other developments, which include Solera and the recently launched 20/20 Lawrence Apartments. Here’s a great photo of David and Mayor Hickenlooper in action during the news conference announcing Solera’s groundbreaking.

Lastly, I encourage you to stop by Paris on the Platte Cafe and Bar on Friday, September 23rd or Saturday, September 24th as the cafe marks its 25th birthday. Friday night will feature music by the acoustic duo middleroad, while Saturday night will serve as a tribute to the cafe, with former and current employees and patrons sharing stories. The event, a benefit for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, will also include several musical performances and drawings for gift baskets and other items. Although the coffeehouse (and former bookstore) was one of the first businesses to take a chance on once lonely Platte Street, it managed to gather a devoted following of regulars who were known affectionately as “Parisites.” Congrats to Faye for building an institution that holds great memories for so many, including me! Here’s a look at me and my fellow revelers enjoying a “Little Black Dress” party at Paris two years ago.

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