The CocoNut Tree
Inspired by the success of Margaritaville and a song by Willie Nelson and Kenny Chesney.
“Everybody's got a place they go
When the old battery gets running low
I'm a sucker for the sand and sea, yea
If I had my way, hey I'd always be Way up high in a coconut tree”
CocoNut Tree Site Plan (draft)
CocoNut Tree Site Plan
Gone CocoNuts
The CocoNut Tree was the dream, but in reality even though cap’n nocap’n had found the right property and developed a site plan, after talking with Denver’s Zoning Department, he just didn’t have the funding to bring it to life. He could, however, bootstrap a food truck startup and did so with the help of a chef from the Virgin Islands. Chef J Flemming had his own business on St. Thomas called J’s Gone Coconuts, so when the cap’n called the synchronicity was too strong to ignore. nick leased a food truck and personally painted the exterior so it was ready for launch on April 8th, 2016, Opening Day for the Colorado Rockies.
Gone CocoNuts @ The Pour House
nick’s food truck lease turned out to be an issue as the roof leaked and the water never worked leading him to a small claims court victory against the owner, but even in that short time the two were able to earn an opportunity to launch the concept in an established brick and mortor in need of a kitchen, The Pour House Pub.
Herbs n’ Beans
Though contractual disagreement led to the end of cap’n nocap’n’s time at The Pour House, his drive to bring a new experiece to the people of Denver could not be stifled. He put a down payment on a new food truck build with intent to bring CocoNuts to the streets, when the 2016 initiative passed and allowed for the creation of Social Cannabis Consumption venues.
He renegotiated his contract with the food truck builder, switching the build from an old mail carrier to a retired RTD Bus, and started testifying at all the public hearings related to the roll out of the Social Consumption permits. Through his active roll in the process he met a building owner who offered him a space to bring his concept, Herbs n’ Beans, to life not far from the Rockies stadium. He began construction within the 1,000 sg ft unit with plans to have to-go coffee service from the street entrance and a cannabis friendly lounge accessed from the rear parking lot.
What came to life instead was beyond his original imagination as he took inspiration from new experiences at local venues, like the members only after hours art gallery Knew Conscious, immersive festivals, including the 2017 Global Eclipse Gathering in Oregon, and his first venture into MeowWolf’s House of Eternal Return…
