Arapahoe Cafe
Year-Round Full Service Marketing: 10 Years in the Making
Arapahoe Cafe Case Study
When a classic Colorado restaurant needed marketing guidance to match its deep historical roots, they turned to us. From 2013 until their closure in 2024, we worked as an extension of the Arapahoe Cafe family to create and heighten a marketing presence as iconic as their lakeside log cabin.
The Challenge
The goal was to share the rich story and recipes of this historical landmark and bring them to life for a modern audience. We needed to bridge the gap between the restaurant’s 1940s soul and the 21st-century digital landscape through a new website, a vibrant social media community, and a data-driven advertising strategy.
Results
We fully integrated a content strategy that combined traditional Advertising and PR with cutting-edge social media. By creating a smooth, efficient cross-channel workflow, we eliminated "marketing drag" and saved the restaurant over $20,000 per year in operational costs.
Branding
After years of spearheading advertising negotiations and writing blogs, we worked with Arapahoe Cafe to bring their image into the modern era.
We teamed up with Bigfoot Web to recreate the logo and rebrand their entire visual identity. The result was a mobile-friendly, imagery-focused website that was easy for the busy owners to use while capturing the Summit County lifestyle.
Traditional Advertising & PR
By negotiating contracts and eliminating outdated strategies, we modernized the Cafe’s imagery and utilized marketing dollars more effectively. We shifted funds from low-ROI radio and newspapers toward high-impact digital advertising, successfully capturing thousands of I-70 drivers.
We also secured feature coverage in local publications and developed a high-end digital newsletter to transform "one-time diners" into a loyal community.
Social Media Management
We started working with the Cafe before Facebook business pages or Instagram even existed. By building an authentic online community from the ground up, we reached thousands of hungry locals and travelers each week.
Community Growth: Maintained over 3,000 likes on Facebook and 2,000 followers on Instagram.
Digital Momentum: Since 2013, social media efforts have referred over 45,000 people to the website.
SEO Legacy: Through a monthly blog and recipe calendar, we created engaging content that continues to rank for SEO even after the cafe's 2024 closure.
A Heartfelt Goodbye to a Summit County Landmark
It is with heavy hearts that we acknowledge the permanent closure of the Arapahoe Cafe & Pub, which served its final guests on October 15, 2023. For over a decade, we weren't just their marketing team; we were part of the fabric of a restaurant that defined the spirit of Dillon.
The closure wasn’t due to a lack of love or business—the Cafe remained a bustling hub for BBQ and community until the very end. Instead, the property owners chose not to renew the lease due to proposed redevelopment plans for the town core. While the Dillon Town Council attempted to preserve the historic 1940s structure as a "landmark," the business could no longer continue at 626 Lake Dillon Drive, leaving a significant void in our local community.