The Town of Erie has a bunch of traditions that bring the community together. Some of these traditions include, Biscuit day, farmers markets, Boo on Briggs, the Parade of Lights, and, a less known one of going to  Cristos on Late starts. This isn’t a tradition for everyone, but ask anybody trying to get a coffee on the first Wednesday of the month, and  it’s a popular one for many. Cristos contributes so much to our community, but what made Cristos the staple it is today? 

    7 years ago Cristos popped up in Erie. The little coffee shop provided one of the communities first local places to go in Erie. This meeting place had a little patio, wooden tic-tac-toe boards, and free wifi. This made a world of a difference to kids, teens, and adults. 

    Jessica and Barry Luginbill took over Cristos in April. This came with a few changes to Cristo’s appearance and business approach. Looking inside you see some local artists on display, new tables, and rugs, not to mention the new location on Pearl and Broadway. 

    Cristos looks completely different than it did 4 years ago. With a location switch, a change of owners, and an upcoming remodel, it is safe to say the atmosphere has changed. However, with all of these new changes, the warm and community-oriented environment remains the same. 

            The baristas look forward to the regulars, often their coffee is ready before they even have a chance to order. Evelyn, a barista and roaster, tells us about the coffee’s unique path to Cristos. “I think our coffee is the best. Just because we air roast… So when people ask whether coffee is acidic or not, that all comes from gas roasting. So here, because we don’t gas roast our coffee, it isn’t acidic or burnt.”

    The baristas have changed somewhat overtime as well. Some of the baristas that you might recognize are Jayden and Sophia, both of them have been at Cristos for 4+ years and manage the two locations. Evelyn has been at Cristos for 3+ years and is now in charge of the in-house roasting. In addition to these amazing leaders, we have a team of baristas helping make your coffee.

    The freshly roasted coffee beans make the coffee stand out, and most of the coffee beans have been on the shelves for years. With the help of other small businesses such as DP Sweets in Erie, Labels in Westminster, and J Street Bakery in Loveland, the food stands out as well. By using the products from other small businesses, this symbiotic relationship brings wonderful pastries and breakfast to our local coffee shop. While the community will never forget the old cinnamon rolls that everyone raved about, Cristos is thriving more than ever. 

A few years ago a rumor was running rampant that Cristos was run by a cult. No one seemed to know who was saying this but it was everywhere.  While the impact on the company during this rumor is unknown, the impact seems all but insignificant to the company now.

Now barista Eden admitted to believing this before getting her job at Cristos. “There were a lot of rumors surrounding Cristos because the original owner was a religious figure. He was a pastor. That kinda spiraled into people saying he was a cult leader. And then it went into demonology… the word Christo was used to casting out demons in a show I was watching, however, Christos is the Latin word for Jesus.” 

    The rumor has long since been disproven and the original owners didn’t even know how this started. While this seems like a small story in the community, this made Cristos into a talking point. The saying, ‘any publicity is good publicity’ certainly worked for Cristos. 

    If you knew the original owners, you would wond who would say this about them, considering the friendly nature they had. The family-owned business was run by Erich, Levi, and Grace Hardy. The comradery the owners had with employees and customers alike was unmistakable. The previous owners knew all the regulars, and this has been maintained even  as the current owners took over, as theyalways have time to talk to their customers, creating a welcoming atmosphere. 

    Evelyn explained the amazing support the community provides despite this rumor early on in the company. “The regulars are relieving, especially with all the new people coming in. It’s nice to see the same faces and start to get to know people. They all come in at the same time every day and all know each other. So that might be the cult, all the regulars knowing each other.” 

    The cult-like ideas that now follow Cristos has cultivated into something much more real than the rumors Cristos was originally known for. This following was built for a much more real scandal; Cristos’ infamous stand against the covid regulations. 

    Many small businesses fell victim to covid. Cristos was determined to remain afloat. Finding loopholes and ways to stay open was their claim to fame. The notice on the front door circulated. People came from all over to have a place to see and talk to other people in the midst of the pandemic. But, many people were worried about the risk of staying open during such a dangerous time, and had a lot to

    A statement written on the door read, “Governor Polis has put out an executive order to wear a face covering. As UNLAWFUL as that is, and the fact that two Statutes were changed to fit his order… which is UNLAWFUL also, our EMPLOYEES will be wearing masks. As for you our CUSTOMER we do not OWN you NOR will we MAKE any choices for you. Enjoy limited freedom in liberal Colorado.” This came after a warning from the police department. This created some division in the community on supporting this business. This remains a conversation today. 

    The stir this caused continued as the owners put up a second sign quoting the first amendment. This caused a public outcry about respecting health concerns. The reviews were crowded with people saying they won’t go back. The responses to these negative reviews were swift and harsh. With strong contrast to the previous bad experiences faced by Cristos, the owners took a stand, stating that you can have issues with their views but their product is good, and they know it. 

One negative review that stands out says “One of the many things I have always appreciated about Christos was the owner’s view of freedom of speech and other timely issues.” In recent times, the various postings about the first amendment etc. had been removed. When asking if the town forced Cristos to do this, the response was “the owners felt that posting our hours on the door instead was more appropriate.” Even the paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling are now gone, sad to see the feisty funky little coffee shop to go.”

    Standing out against the other negative about covid responses a review talking about upholding the views popped up. Straddling the line between keeping loyal customers and welcoming new clientele seems to be a goal for the new owners. This sets the tone for the plans of the new Cristos owners.

    Cristos has big plans for the future. The new owners have already expanded to Boulder, with remodeling plans in the future, and expanding the bean roastery. These all reflect the new direction of Christos and the new owners. 

    Looking at the new Boulder location, it is easy tosee a trend of embracing the local community.   Eden expands on the moral in the Boulder location. “The mural represents all of Boulder. It has rubber ducks, mountains, pearl street, Raphy the CU mascot, and all the mascots of Boulder High School. All the little small things that contribute to making Boulder, Boulder.” 

say.These little touches maintain Cristos’ feel, while also making it accessible to more communities. Our local Ice cream shop Sweets made a similar effort. Without maintaining a small-town charm the second location did not thrive as much. With an open house on December 17th, Cristos is hitting the ground running.

    The new location doesn’t have as much traction as Erie yet. With only getting about 20 customers every 8 hours. This makes the shifts at Erie a little more difficult. With Erie having 7 more years of experience than the Boulder location, they are positive that the shop will bring in plenty more customers in years to come. The manager of the new store, Sophia, is armed with 4 years of experience at the Erie store. With the amazing team at Erie ready to spread their wings in Boulder, they are bound to be a success.