By ST Paulman
Pat Martino, and Dave and Mike Patterson welcome you to the Bobtail Cornerstore in Black Hawk. Photo by ST Paulman.
Dave and Mike Patterson know a good thing when they hear about it. When the Pattersons ran the antique store at 380 Gregory St. in Black Hawk, they heard a daily question from their customers: Where’s a convenience store?
Dave and Mike thought about it and seized the opportunity, closing the antique store and opening up their own convenience store, Bobtail Cornerstore, in partnership with Pat Martino at the same location. Their new Bobtail is located next to the historic Bobtail Mine between Black Hawk and Central City. Dave quipped that “there is no corner” but they liked the name and stuck with it.
In stocking their business the Pattersons hired a business consultant, who helped them smartly choose their store’s inventory, as their space is limited. The Bobtail offers a hot coffee station, at least three choices for either hot or iced tea, plenty of energy drinks and snacks, and premium Coldstone Creamery ice cream. They keep track of the sales of the most popular items and make sure the items are always on hand. It’s been nothing but a success story for them ever since.
Most importantly, the customer comes first. Dave, Mike and their staff will greet you and make you feel welcome when you enter the store and be sure to help you find what you need. A customer cashed out his lottery tickets the other day and teased Dave about giving out $400 for a winning ticket if he had brought it in. Dave replied that he would love to give one of those out. He hasn’t yet and he’s still waiting to.
The Bobtail doesn’t accept checks but an ATM is available on site for cash withdrawals. The store gladly accepts food stamps for its items. DVDs are also available for rental at $1.99 and can be previewed before choosing one.
The Pattersons are serious about their business while also keeping “the fun stuff” on hand. The Bobtail has one of the best selections of Colorado souvenirs in the area. They not only have key chains, magnets, water bottles, insulated coffee mugs and shot glasses, but also have books, desk calendars and photo albums. Stop by and pick up a copy of The Richest Square Mile on Earth that’s been autographed by the author and send it to a friend who’s recently visited as a Colorado souvenir.
The best kept secret in Black Hawk is that the Pattersons still own and operate their other business, Three Brothers Printing, in the same location as the Bobtail.
Since the Black Hawk municipal code allows only one sign or banner at a time, the Pattersons chose to advertize the Bobtail rather than the printing shop. At Three Brothers Printing business is booming as a majority of the casinos shop locally for their printing needs.
Dave Patterson has lived in Golden Gate Canyon for 19 years and as community members, the Pattersons together have sponsored various community events for years, including Little League teams. As an anticipated treat, at the end of the Little League season all the players, whether they were on winning teams or not, receive free ice cream from the Pattersons.
If you need a convenience store item you can call ahead and order it from them at 303-582-5869. The Bobtail is here for you and happy to help. Check them out the next time you run out of charcoal for the grill, noodles for spaghetti, ice cream for a party, or Band-Aids and antibacterial ointment for those cuts and scrapes picked up while hiking.
The location for the store is ideal right off of the main thoroughfare between the two cities and it has plenty of parking with room large enough for ATV trailers, campers and even a bus or two. The Bobtail is open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily with the exception of Sunday when they’re open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
As Dave said, “If there’s a snow storm coming and you don’t want to drive to Evergreen for stuff, come in here.”
