Arvada Small Business Spotlight
We’re lucky to have so many amazing small businesses in Arvada, and we want to help you get to know them a little bit better. That’s why we’re starting a monthly Small Business Spotlight to showcase these unique gems.
Read about February’s Small Business, Outside the Box.
March, 2025: Odyssey Beerwerks | 5535 W 56th Ave #107
Odyssey Beerweerks has been an Arvada staple for more than a decade. The husband-and-wife duo, Chris and Deana Hill, have helped put our community on the map. Their brewery is a favorite gathering spot year-round for residents and visitors. They are constantly hosting fun events and even welcome your four-legged furry friends to the brewery. Read on to learn more about Odyssey!
How long has Odyssey Beerwerks been a part of Arvada? 12 years!
WHY Arvada? There are so many attractive “metro” options…how did you choose this community to be your home?
We chose Arvada as the location for the brewery in 2013 for several reasons:
a) We wanted to be somewhere along the front range, but not in Denver.
b) At the time we were looking at potential locations, Fort Collins (150,000 residents) already had 14 existing breweries, and at least four new breweries in-planning - that they knew of. Being from Fort Collins, Chris didn’t want to be the 20th(ish) brewery in Fort Collins.
c) Arvada had one brewery for a population of roughly 110,000 residents (in 2013)
d) Arvada has a small town feel but is still very close to the “big city” of Denver. Barring traffic, you can get to downtown Denver in 15-20 minutes driving. If you take the train from the Gold Strike Station, which is only a 15-20 minute walk from the brewery, you can get to downtown Denver in 30 minutes and don’t have to worry about parking!!
The Odyssey Team
e) Have you been to Arvada? It’s pretty damn cool.
What is behind your name? How did you choose it?
Odyssey Beerwerks is named for a love of travel and new adventures, and just trekking through this odyssey that we call life.
If someone has never been to your brewery, how would you describe it?
Our taproom is warm and inviting; a place where everyone feels comfortable and all are welcome. You'll never be lonely at our place - there's always someone willing to share a pint with you! We have 16-20 beers on tap at all times; seven flagship beers year-round and 9-13 rotating seasonals. We don’t limit ourselves to one beer style; we have a wide variety of beer styles to offer something for everyone.
What is the FAVORITE beer that you have ever brewed…and why?
Well, we each have a different favorite! Deana’s would be the Eye of Ra Golden Strong Ale; that’s her jam: strong, delicious Belgian ales. We haven’t brewed it in many years, but she keeps pushing to bring it back! Chris’s favorite would be the Ghost Drifter Pale Ale, which is one of our flagship beers that we brew year-round. It’s an updated take on the classic American Pale Ale; hop-forward, flavorful, and clean and easy-drinking.
Talk to us about 2025…you do so many fun events…always something at Odyssey! What should we absolutely put on our calendars for this year? Anything new in the works to save the date for? Or, share your “musts” that have become annual staples for the brewery.
We always have fun events happening in the Taproom! Here are just a few:
· CRAWFISH BOIL – Saturday, April 12 – Food by The G Wagon. Single and Family size options of Louisiana crawfish (flown in fresh!), sausage, potatoes, and all the fixins.
· ADULT PINEWOOD DERBY – Saturday, April 19 & TBD in the Fall. Build your car and compete in this timeless Odyssey tradition on our very own Pinewood Derby track!
· ANNIVERSARY PARTY WEEKEND – May 16-17-18 (always the 3rd weekend in May). Food Trucks, Live Music, Beer Releases, Anniversary Merch
· ARVADA FIRE FIGHTER FUNDRAISER & OLD DODGE BEER RELEASE – Saturday, June 28. We brew and can the beer with the help of Arvada Fire Fighters. Proceeds from sales of the Old Dodge (named after Arvada’s first fire engine!) go to the Arvada Professional Fire Fighters Foundation to help firefighters injured in the line of duty, as well as the families of fallen firefighters.
· OKTOBERFEST PARTY & BEER RELEASE – Saturday, August 30. Arvada Mayor taps the first keg of our Oktoberfest Marzen, and the first beer out of that keg is free! We’ll also have live music, authentic German steins, and a stein-holding contest!
Odyssey Beerwerks owners Chris and Deana Hill
· AND MORE, including Trivia every Tuesday and Vinyl Night every Thursday!!! Check out our Events Calendar to see more!
What do you love about owning a small business in Arvada?
Definitely, the connections we have made in the community. As mentioned above, we partner with many other Arvada businesses and organizations, including Talnua Distillery (our neighbors down the street!), La Patisserie Francaise bakery, Hunter Bay Coffee Roasters, the Arvada Fire Department, the Greater Arvada Chamber of Commerce, the Mayor’s Office, and, of course, Visit Arvada, among many others.
Everyone knows the challenges facing all small businesses right now. How can the Arvada community support you the most this year?
We cannot thank our customers, local business partners, and friends enough for all the support over the last 12 years! Going forward, some ways to continue to help are:
1. Continue to SUPPORT LOCAL! Specifically to Odyssey Beerwerks: Buy beer! Either draft beer in the Taproom or packaged To-Go. ALL of our costs have gone up and will continue to rise. This includes all of our ingredients, materials (i.e. cans/aluminum), supplies, shipping, etc. This is true across all small businesses. So if your favorite small business is increasing prices, it’s because they have to. Please continue to support small business or all you will be left with is chains and big box stores!
2. Buy gift cards. These make great gifts, kind of a one size fits all. Even if you don’t drink beer, you know someone who does.
3. FOLLOW US on social media and SHARE our social media posts with your friends/network to help us generate interest in all of our efforts. This is something that doesn’t cost you any money! Spread the word! Even though we have been open for 12 years, we still meet people who have never heard of us.
February, 2025: Outside the Box and Outside the Box, Too | 5760 Olde Wads, Units A & E
Outside the Box has quickly become a favorite for finding unique items for your home, garden and beyond! Owners Chris Spears and Dorn Nienaber pride themselves on exceptional customer service and a massive inventory that is regularly updated. They have been a fantastic addition to the retail scene in Olde Town Arvada, and we wanted to get to know them a little bit better.
How long has Outside the Box/Outside the Box, Too! been a part of Arvada?
We started Outside The Box in our garage during the summer of 2016, ordering in stock and doing pop-ups. In 2018, we opened booths in vendor malls and by 2021, we had 5 locations and a warehouse full of inventory. At that point, we knew it was time to find a home of our own.
In February 2022, fate led us to Olde Town Arvada when we answered an ad for a vacant storefront, and the rest is history. We opened the original store on April 1, 2022, and our Too! store on April 12, 2024!
If someone has never been to one of your stores, how would you describe them?
We strive to make our stores fun, calm and relaxing, and we accomplish this with friendly staff, good music and by constantly changing our merchandise. You will find price points for all budgets, gifts, and decor. We strive to be a one-stop shopping experience and offer complimentary gift bags and tissue with your purchase.
What is the FAVORITE item/line that you carry and why? {just one...! :)}
This is a hard one, because there are so many, and it changes with the seasons. We love selling the Eric + Eloise collection and telling the story behind it. If you're intrigued, come in and let us share it with you!
Any fun plans or events coming up in 2025 that we should save the date for?
We will be installing a large metal gazebo inside the Too! store, and a large metal replica of the Eiffel Tower at the OG (original store). These will serve as display pieces around which our spring and summer decor will be built. We have several new items arriving in time for Mother's Day, and of course, we're already planning for the upcoming holiday season. It will be hard to top last year's life-sized Santa and giant upside-down tree, but we are going to try!
What do you love most about co-owning a small business in Arvada?
We love the relationships we've built with our regular customers. It is fun to call them by name and keep up with their lives' happenings. We also love all of our regular "fur" customers who stop by for treats on their walks around Olde Town.