These are unprecedented times for so many. But in a way, Rainbow Schultzhas been here before.
Schultz and husband Adam Burrell, who together own the Jamestown Mercantile, were widely credited for helping to buoy the tiny mountain community’s spirits and preserve a sense of unity and normalcy in the wake of the devastating flood of September 2013.
They kept the town hub and gathering place afloat, even as residents grieved the loss of beloved Jamestown resident Joey Howlett — from whom the couple had purchased “The Merc” — providing a bridge to normalcy as the community launched the years-long process of rebuilding and rebirth.
And now, the coronavirus is posing a brand new challenge. In many ways it’s the same as that experienced in most other towns across America. But it’s different, too, in that Jamestown’s 200-plus residents even in the best of times have less daily exposure to a hectic social or business life, by virtue of their geographical separation at nearly 7,000 rugged feet above sea level. Now, a sense of isolation is underscored and assured by state fiat.
The Mercantile has long been the town’s glue. But now it’s subject to the same unforgiving constraints as most other businesses in Colorado. Customers can’t come and stay for a while — or even for a few minutes. Food has to be on a take-and-go basis, passed out carefully on the front porch, and safe distances between people must be maintained.
‘It’s not the same’
“It’s really sad,” Schultz said. “The Merc is first and foremost a gathering place, and the place we all meet up with each other and come out of the hills to see each other. And so, it’s safe.
“For that to be missing … it is not the same to see people from 6 feet away with a mask on, and hand them their dinner.”
But that is what Schultz has been doing since March 21, opening from 6 to 7 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, enabling people to sign up via a Google document to place their orders, then come to pick them up.
Appropriately, the menu — with a meat and veggie option each time — has been trending heavily toward comfort foods. Chicken and dumplings, lasagna, fried chicken, mac and cheese have all made appearances.
The Merc also has even presented live music, hosting the Boulder-based alt-country band Gasoline Lollipops the evening of March 22 — in an otherwise empty venue. It was streamed by Facebook Live to people social distancing at home on their sofas.
Schultz has had to lay off two full-time employees. Because her husband has asthma issues, he has been staying home with their children and out of the mix, leaving it to Schultz and one volunteer, who is working for tips, to don the masks and meet customers out front with their meals. Some 50 meals a day on days The Mercantile is open are sold this way.
“When this first started I was really, really upset because I didn’t want to start over again,” said Schultz, who had to do just that after the flood more than six years ago.
“The difference now is that there’s not the community gathering together, which is really what pulled us all through, last time,” Schultz said. “But at the same time, we can kind of look at this as a new challenge. And through technology, we’re all able to really help each other out, once again.”
A favorite feature at The Mercantile for several years has been the offerings from Karen DeVincenzo of the nearby Bar-K Ranch subdivision, better known as “The Pie Lady.” Instead of selling her 9-inch creations by the slice as part of cafe’s regular menu, she is working several days a week from the Mercantile’s kitchen, churning out 5-inch versions of her popular triple berry, strawberry rhubarb, key lime and even bourbon pecan pies — to go.
A resident of the area since 1992, she well remembers the pivotal role The Mercantile played in 2013.
“It’s a little bit different now, of course,” DiVencenzo said. “We have to be more careful, being around people. There’s the social distancing going on. And during the flood, we were more inclined to come together as a group. Right now, we can’t do that. I guess that’s the biggest difference.”
‘See what the summer brings’
In another example of the past serving as prologue in Jamestown, former mayor Tara Schoedinger, who spearheaded the community’s recovery through the flood and ensuing years, is returning to that post May 4, for her fifth term. She’s taking back the reins from Ken Lenarcic, who is completing his own fifth two-year term.
Schoedinger deemed it “awesome” that The Mercantile’s owners are once again providing a touchstone of normalcy — albeit in a limited way — through a unique time in the nation’s modern history.
“It certainly benefits them to keep their business up and going as much as they possibly can, but I think they do look at it in a way that is beneficial to the community and serving the needs of the community,” Schoedinger said. She noted in an aside that even when toilet paper can’t be found elsewhere, there’s some handy at “The Merc.”
“She finds creative ways to serve the community in a way that is first and foremost, service,” Schoedinger said. “That has been the core of their business from early on, and from when Joey (Howlett) was the owner, and probably even before him. They have certainty carried on his legacy.”
Schultz, who gave a shout-out to other Jamestown entrepreneurs such as Julien’s Cliffhouse Kombucha and the recently arrived in town Caribiner Coffee — which do not have storefront operations — said the pandemic experience “brings up the scrappy part of yourself, that is figuring out how to start over again.”
How long can she continue this way?
“I think that we could do this for a couple of months and rebound,” Schultz said, noting that her business’s fixed costs have not changed. “If this continues through the entire summer, I’m not sure that The Merc as it stands, could sustain it.
“I guess I’m going to see what the summer brings.”
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