Welcome, again, to our annual issue cheering our readers’ picks for the Best of Boulder East County.
This is a celebration issue, even more so than it usually is, because surviving the last 18 months is a notable accomplishment on its own.
Emerging from the pandemic hasn’t been an easy road for any business; it’s likely that nearly every company you’ll read about in these pages struggled through the state-mandated shutdown, the mask mandates, and the slow trickle of returning commerce, along with whatever personal impact COVID-19 had on the workers’ and owners’ lives.
In last year’s Best of Boulder East County, some of the winners hadn’t survived the pandemic year. This time around, the enterprises we’re celebrating deserve extra props for being survivors—or, in some cases, like that of Best New Business and Best Bookstore winner The Read Queen, they opened right in the worst of times, yet are now thriving.
In this issue, we’ve selected a few businesses that won multiple awards to feature in a little more detail. We took a closer look at The Roost, Trivium Salon, Igadi, The Read Queen, and Acreage to illuminate a handful of your favorites further.
We’re raising our glasses in a toast to these Best of Boulder East County winners, but also shouting a loud Salud! to all of our readers who took the time to share their thoughts and preferences in our annual poll. Our community members and the businesses that provide our services, sustenance, and material goods are the reason we’re here. We can’t wait to hear from you again next year.
