Got Wanderlust? Triple Tree Café Welcomes Bikers and Other Adventurers

Few places in Colorado are as colorful as Colfax Avenue, and the Triple Tree Café is no exception. Multihued motorcycle helmets rest on every shelf. Owner Naomi de la Torre proudly displays rainbow flags on the wall. On a mural, a bald eagle is landing on a shovelhead motorcycle engine, wings outstretched below a Hugh Hefner quote: “The longest, wickedest street in America.”

“I love Colfax,” de la Torre said. “It was always friendly to LGBT populations, but there was also a seedier element. Once upon a time, you couldn’t walk around Colfax at night, but now you can. You still have the classic diners, along with higher-end restaurants.”

Triple Tree Café, named after a key component of motorcycle engines, aims to land between these gritty and yuppy vibes.

“Sure, we’re bringing craft coffee to Colfax, but everyone who serves that product is down-to-Earth. We have water here—not only for customers but for anyone who comes in, particularly the homeless.”

Though Triple Tree has only been open since last September, it has a devoted base of customers who love the daily happy hour. On the weekend, you’re just as likely to see a pack of Harley dudes as a gaggle of moms with strollers.

“I’m here every day,” said regular customer Jessica Gillespie. “I come for the people. This is a community where everyone is welcome. I bring my children here all the time. It’s kid-friendly, dog-friendly. At other cafés, people want to be left alone on their laptops. Those spaces are equally needed, but this one offers a more personal connection.”

“Bike culture often starts at the biker bar,” de la Torre said—clarifying that drinking and riding may be intimidating to newcomers. “I thought it would be great to offer a place that wasn’t as alcohol-based. Yes, we serve beer and wine, but we also serve a full menu, coffee, sodas, smoothies, and kombucha. It’s less intimidating to walk in here. We’re working towards a 70s Americana feel piece-by-piece.”

For de la Torre, the motorcycle theme to the café is more than just decoration.

“Motorcycles tear down all barriers. No matter who you are, when you’re on two wheels, you have a common bond and can talk for hours. Suddenly it doesn’t matter that I’m an LGBT, Hispanic café owner. All of those labels go away when I’m on a motorcycle. The wanderlust and adventure spirit of the road is more important.”

That adventurous vibe leads de la Torre and her café customers to the road in regular weekend rides called “Sunday Congregation.”

“In motorcycle culture, they call group get-togethers ‘church,’” she said. “We wanted to honor that culture. For some people, you don’t feel right if you’re not riding, so whether we do a half-day ride to Golden or full-day ride to Colorado Springs, we make time to do it together.”

Recently, de la Torre even took her café community on an overseas adventure with a 15-day dirt bike trip in Vietnam. As the seven-member group rode 2000 km from Hanoi to Saigon, they stayed at various homestays and stilt houses, getting a first-hand experience of local culture. They loved it so much, de la Torre has already begun planning a trip for April 2019.

Back home, however, Triple Tree Café isn’t going anywhere, and loyal customers like Frank Locantore, executive director of the Colfax Business Improvement District, are grateful.

“Our district spans from the state capital to East High Street, and Triple Tree Café is in the center of it all,” Locantore said. “Someone once said that Colfax is the most democratic street in Denver, and this place fits that ethos—everyone’s welcome.”

Triple Tree Café is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.–5 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Happy Hour is 3-5 P.M. every day, with $2 Tuesdays and Wine Wednesdays.

Photos by Veronica Holyfield