What if grocery shopping came with a side of wine, a good meal and somewhere to sit for a while? That’s the idea behind The Corner on Madison, a new neighborhood grocery and gathering spot coming to Denver’s Skyland neighborhood.
The business is taking shape at 2800 N. Madison Street where owners Max and Emily Bramer are giving the former Frank’s Food Mart a new life.
The Corner on Madison is expected to open in late September, with a grocery store at the heart of the business and a cafe, deli and tavern built around it. “We are very much aiming to be a full grocer. We want to enable people to be able to come in and put meals together and, you know, do shopping for a few days or a week at a time if necessary,” Max said.
The grocery will be designed for everyday shopping, giving residents a place to pick up the ingredients they need for a few meals or stock up for the week.
But the owners also want to make the experience feel different from a typical trip to the grocery store. “We figured, you know, why not make going to the grocery store fun? Why shouldn’t you be able to have a glass of wine while you’re picking out your groceries if you really want,” he said.
The project also has a larger purpose for the neighborhood.
Max said addressing the food desert around Skyland is the main reason behind the grocery component of the business. The area has been without a nearby grocery option for some time, and the new store is intended to make everyday food shopping more accessible for residents.
“The primary function and our primary focus is fixing the food desert issue that exists in and around the Skyland neighborhood,” Max said.
The owners also hope The Corner on Madison can become a place where neighbors spend time rather than simply stop in to shop. “More than anything, I think trying to, you know, rejuvenate the neighborhood and provide a gathering space that’s just been absent from the Skyland neighborhood for a very long time,” Max said.
For a storefront that has sat quiet for years, the plans are a significant change. Instead of simply bringing another grocery store to Madison Street, the owners are combining food shopping, coffee, drinks and dining under one roof.
