Entrepreneur finds his spot in city’s ‘little Brooklyn’

Armand Margjeka is a difficult man to track down. Between running several business in Woodlawn — Woodlawn Cycle Café, Public Office and Open Shop — and others in Colorado, Margieka is constantly moving around. 

Open Shop opened a few years ago, selling unisex clothing and apparel. The shop is bright and minimalistic, painted a clean white with items lining the shelves like an art display. Public Office, just up the street, sells skincare, candles, camping mugs and maintains the same bright atmosphere. Woodlawn Cycle Café offers a food-oriented space in a modern white brick building. And each has seen community support.

The public’s reaction has been “fantastic” and “supportive,” Margjeka said about Open Shop. “We’ve increased revenue by over 400 percent since we opened in 2014.”

Despite running multiple stores, each with a different theme, Margjeka said all of his businesses are run under the same mindset. 

“High quality products, a simple but great approach, special and unique items made and crafted with care and attention, and giving the customer a great experience,” he said. 

“It’s like a little Brooklyn,” Kaitlin Slattery, new manager of the Woodlawn Cycle Cafe, which operates right across the street from Open Shop, said, in reference to the Woodlawn area. “You’ve got New York, and you’ve got Brooklyn, and this is our Brooklyn.”