Alumni Spotlight: Tammie Bowes Delaney - Wild Goose Coffee & The Hayden Granary

Tammie Bowes Delaney graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a business degree in tourism and recreation in 1987. Upon graduating, she spent over four years traveling the world working for a bicycle touring company where she met her husband, Patrick.

While abroad, the two shared their love of cafes, bakeries, chocolate, and, of course, biking. Little did they know it would lead to a future endeavor.

Wild Goose Coffee & The Hayden Granary

In 2009, the Delaneys decided to open a feed store in Hayden, Colorado and purchased Yampa Valley Feeds. As a bonus, the seller included the entire 1917 Hayden Granary property as part of the sale. Once the papers were signed, the Delaneys quickly got to work on the Granary and began running the feed shop. Despite their best efforts, they realized customers and community members used the feed shop as a place to sit down, drink coffee, and socialize with each other. Tammie reflects,

“It wasn’t the feed store they were coming for; they were coming for a community!”

In 2012, the Delaneys decided to close Yampa Valley Feeds and transitioned it into a social space, now known as Wild Goose Coffee at the Hayden Granary. Recognizing that preserving and restoring the century-old property was beyond their capacity, the Delaneys sought out a partnership to help better establish the historic land. That is when they brought on Paul and Chresta Brinkman. Shortly after, in 2019, the team started the nonprofit organization Historic Hayden Granary. This nonprofit helps preserve and enhance the Historic Hayden Granary, which has transformed into a community gathering place in Northwest Colorado.

Thanks to the partnership, the Granary could expand past their single store and better utilize the historic area. That’s how Hayden Granary created the ‘Salt Shed Flats,’ an apartment complex with four rental units for both short and long-term rentals. After that, they added the shared coffee and pizza restaurant, an event venue, and Brinkman’s Yampa Valley Brewing Company. Of course, Hayden Granary's success is only possible thanks to the work of its dedicated staff. Tammie comments,

"[We have] a talented staff that loves what they do, from baking to pulling an espresso, to remembering a favorite drink.  That creates the magic of our place - everything is made with love.”

Experience with Demystifying Entrepreneurship

In 2021, the Delaneys decided to give back to their local entrepreneurship community and welcomed the Northwest Colorado Demystifying Entrepreneurship: Rural Colorado Workshop Series into the Hayden Granary. Tammie shared her expertise with her community through the panel discussion, sharing her story about Wild Goose Coffee and the Hayden Granary. By the end of the night, she felt so inspired by the group’s energy, she joined the full workshop.

Every summer, the Demystifying Entrepreneurship Workshop travels through rural Colorado and provides interactive certificate courses for anyone interested in launching their own business or improving upon an existing business. On October 14 and 15, the series will return to Hayden, Colorado for StartUp to ScaleUp to address “what’s next” for small businesses looking to shift out of the startup phase.

Through the workshop, Tammie was given the opportunity to step back and focus on the nonprofit side of The Hayden Granary. She comments,

“Being an entrepreneur and small business owner is by far the hardest job I've ever had. You don't have someone to kick your butt, tell you that you're doing a great job, or tell you to slow down.”

Thanks to Demystifying Entrepreneurship, Tammie received the feedback she needed to navigate the vision for the Hayden Granary and is looking forward to further developing Hayden Granary on October 14 and 15. Tammie believes this workshop will assist the Delaneys in breaking down future goals into achievable steps and creating ways to manage their time and energy ahead.

Advice

Tammie provides the following advice,

“I cannot emphasize how much getting out and seeing other places helps. If you are an aspiring entrepreneur, get out and visit those things, or be a part of something that you are interested in. Through travel, you get to experience new things and put yourself in uncomfortable places. You can bring all that knowledge back to where you are.”

Space in the upcoming workshop is limited. If you are a second-stage small business or organization looking to shift out of the startup phase, register now for StartUp to ScaleUp.