Meaning & History
“Zero Day” is a thru-hiking term for a zero mile day during a long distance hike. A day where you stroll into a town for a rest after putting in days of hard miles. Zero days are a treasured part of the journey. There’s nothing like when you finally get to a town to shower off, wash your clothes, maybe sleep in a real bed, meet wonderful locals, and get a hot cup of stellar, delicious coffee.
Once Upon a Time
Zero Day was founded by a fellow named Avery from the Appalachian region of the eastern US. After a childhood with limited means, Avery strived for achievement, and achieve he did.
Raising the bar in his family by being the first to graduate college, Avery entered the tech field and rapidly rose through the ranks while traveling the country in search of all he had never seen.
A fan of long-distance running, he deiced to take on the Colorado Trail (with grand success, for the record). It was along the way that he took a “zero” in Leadville and discovered the little victorian house he would one day turn into the famous coffee shop, Zero Day.
Through grit, vision, and massive balls; Avery opened a tiny business in a tourism driven mountain town at the height of national pandemic restrictions. Endless perseverance mixed with love for the craft and community saw the shop to success.
Zero Day stands as a monument to a man’s successful ambition toward beating the odds.
Journey
It wasn’t enough to serve coffee from 7-2. Over the following three years, Zero Day was built into a cornerstone in the Leadville and outdoor communities.
The addition of outdoor gear solidified Zero Day as the stop of choice for outdoor enthusiasts. Adding quality food gave locals a reason to stop by every.single.day. Opening a weekend wine bar brought in those looking for a post adventure après.
Then came the artists. Zero Day gives much of its wall space to local artists, allowing them a high visibility gallery to show off and sell their work. Zero Day never takes a cut of any artist’s sale, ever.
Participation in community events including Taste of Leadville, Ski Joring, hosting Toy Drives, Small Business Saturday, local markets, group runs, and so much more is a testament to what the community means to us and how honored we are to be a part of it.
Latest
In October 2024, Avery moved on to pursue new and different adventures. With a heavy heart saying goodbye to Zero Day, he knew it was time for him to start a new chapter and he sold the business to an investor from Boulder, Colorado.
Just kidding! About the investor part.
Zero Day was bought by three locals with more passion in the brand than anyone out there. One of the new owners, Matt, had been housemates with Avery for the better part of two years. Over that time, Matt regularly helped Avery run the business. Whether manning the bar or assisting behind the scenes, Matt knows the business as thoroughly as the person who founded it, and is well positioned to keep Zero Day to the standard it is known for.
Joining Matt are two deeply committed members of the Leadville community and long-time lovers of Zero Day; Tony & Candice. These two combined bring remarkable professional experience that will surely prove valuable to the brand as it grows to higher standards and new territories. Plus, there’s no one better to emulate the culture of inclusion, love, and community Zero Day stands for than these two.
