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Drayage Brokersin Colorado Springs, CO

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Because a drayage load can mean a few different things, confusion among carriers is common. Many carriers link drayage with going into a port, but that isn't always true. While all drayage loads typically originate from a port of entry, there are often several legs of a drayage journey before a container turns up at its final stop. Legs of a drayage load may include:

Why Are Drayage Companies in Colorado Springs, CO So Important?

You may be thinking, what's so important about drayage? It's such a small step in the container storage transport process. In reality, it's an integral piece needed in the logistics industry and a crucial part of U.S. supply chain management.

To truly understand the importance of drayage, let's use flowers as an example. Most cut flower shipments enter the market from areas in South America until they end up at Dutch auction houses. Once there, wholesalers purchase flowers in bulk and send those products to retail outlets worldwide. Because flowers are perishable, they typically need to be refrigerated and are often shipped in reefer containers. These refrigerated vessels must maintain a certain temp to prevent loss.

Drayage companies like RelyEx allow flower shippers to send their products from Argentinian ports to airports in the Netherlands with peace of mind because their products are protected. The only way to accomplish this feat is with the help of swift, meticulous port drayage services. Drayage companies allow flower shippers to send their products from Argentinian ports to airports in the Netherlands with peace of mind, because their products are protected. The only way to accomplish this feat is with the help of swift, meticulous port drayage services.

If port drayage is compromised, it can cause delays and even fines. You know the packages you get delivered to your front door from apps like Amazon? Without drayage and drayage brokers, one or two-day shipping times wouldn't even be possible.

As a multi-billion-dollar industry in the U.S. alone, it seems like drayage shipping issues shouldn't exist. But the fact is inefficiencies and congestion are still major problems at ports. Whether it's a lack of carriers, absent chassis, or overburdened terminals, delays lead to missed deadlines, lost revenue, and worse.

But anytime challenges exist, so too do innovative solutions.

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RelyEx Solves Problems

At RelyEx, we like to consider ourselves problem solvers. The nature of the container drayage industry presents new challenges every day, but we're firm believers that there's a solution to every hurdle we encounter. And while some drayage businesses implement a reactive approach, RelyEx customers choose us for our proactive mindset. We take pride in solving your company's drayage challenges to help you avoid frustrating fees, missed expectations, and delayed shipments. We strive to make every transaction successful and streamlined by partnering with shippers who prioritize transparent, prompt, and accurate communication.

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RelyEx Has a Unique Vantage Point

RelyEx approaches your business from the customer's perspective - a unique approach that helps us provide high-quality, effective drayage services. We've been in the customers' shoes, know their pain points, and because of that, provide first-hand solutions to stressful supply chain issues. With over 30 years of collective knowledge, our team excels in:

  • Inventory Management
  • Logistics
  • Purchasing
  • Finance

Our varied, high-level drayage shipping experience helps us achieve our overarching goal: expertly managing your freight movement needs. That way, you can direct your time and focus on growing the core aspects of your business while we handle the heavy lifting. Throw in proactive planning to avoid bottleneck situations and strong communication for transparent customer relations, and you can see why so many companies trust RelyEx.

 Warehousing Colorado Springs, CO

RelyEx Nurtures Strong Carrier Relationships

When it comes to shipping logistics, it only takes one mistake by a mediocre worker to disrupt your business. That's why, at RelyEx, we pride ourselves on forming and nurturing relationships with carriers who match our standards of care. Our founding partner started his career transporting freight for companies as an on-demand carrier. He uses that knowledge to maximize the resources of our carriers so that our customer's expectations aren't just met - they're exceeded.

Based in the port city of Colorado Springs, RelyEx has a keen understanding of the challenges of managing the inbound and outbound flow of containers. Our team of container drayage experts provides your business with unique solutions to nuanced shipping problems, minimizing demurrage and ensuring the successful delivery of your freight.

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Customers choose RelyEx because:

  • We are a reliable drayage logistics partner that manages your freight from beginning to end
  • We have a rare industry vantage point with 30+ years of client-side experience
  • We foster and fortify the strongest vendor relations
  • We take a proactive approach to problem-solving, not a reactive approach
Let us know how we can help.
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Your Drayage Shipments Managed from Start to Finish

Some drayage brokers don't care how customers feel about their service as long as they sign a contract and get paid. As a solutions-oriented team, RelyEx takes the opposite approach. We're motivated by the opportunity to overachieve for our customers and to provide them with the best logistics experience possible. With professional experience as carriers and shippers ourselves, we know the roadblocks and challenges you're facing. We excel at mapping out the best plans of action to solve those problems. But that's just the start.

Our tracking experts monitor and manage every aspect of your drayage shipment from booking to delivery, 24/7. Once booked, we look for the availability of your containers hourly once they're at port. When they arrive, our team acts quickly to access your storage containers when they're available.

Plus, RelyEx ensures your company's requirements are met by the carrier during loading and delivery and provide necessary documentation as fast as possible. With real-time tracking updates and access to our customer service professionals, your team has complete visibility throughout the shipping process.

We Source Top-Notch Operators at the Best Prices

Over the years, RelyEx has built a strong network of drayage carriers, transloading locations, and container storage spaces to provide you with the best possible options to match your drayage service needs. We know that searching for quality service presents an added layer of complexity and stress to our customers. That's why we work hard to take that off your plate by connecting you with our reliable shipping partners.

With a background moving freight as an on-demand carrier, our founding partner understands how to maximize the resources and equipment of our carriers to match your needs.

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We Make Transparent, Timely Communication a Priority

Like other industries, the global logistics space is complex. Mistakes will be made, and problems will happen. With those truths in mind, RelyEx has built its reputation as problem solvers. Unlike other drayage companies, we don't shy away from this industry's complexities because we take pride in solving problems. Even better, we aim to do what's needed to avoid those problems altogether.

As your logistics partner, we will provide your company with accurate, transparent, and prompt communication. If there are unexpected issues, we'll notify you immediately and will provide several options to remedy the problem. We even offer custom reporting for large clients who need at-the-moment updates and quick access to shipment documentation.

We Have Robust Project Management Experience

Why let the unpredictability of your industry dictate your success? With a background working in manufacturing, our founders are familiar with the demands of managing production schedules and sales orders. That experience makes it abundantly clear to us that every business and industry is different. If you struggle with seasonal surges or other factors, our team supports your business with a mapped-out plan and schedule, so you stay ahead of the game.

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Paperwork Errors

Typically, shippers need four specific documents to clear shipments through customs: A Bill of Lading (or BOL), a commercial invoice, a packing list, and an arrival notice. Seasoned drayage brokers like RelyEx are used to preparing these documents, but new shippers tend to miss this step due to inexperience.

Payment Delays

If a shipper only pays for part of their shipment, a vessel operator may refuse to release their freight until their bill is fully paid. Payment delays lead to cargo detention at the port of entry, which triggers demurrage charges.

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Documents Received Too Late

Paperwork is needed when you're shipping goods with a drayage company. When documents like the Certificate of Origin or Bill of Lading arrive at their destination late, you can expect demurrage fees. RelyEx avoids this situation entirely by being proactive when submitting paperwork.

Additional causes for demurrage fees can include:

  • Damaged Container Storage
  • Custom Released Containers
  • Storage Containers Are Too Heavy

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RelyEx:

The Supply Chain Partner You Can Count On

At RelyEx, we know first-hand how stressful supply chain problems can be for business owners. Though drayage shipping might seem minor on the surface, it affects every stage of your shipping process. And when inevitable hurdles manifest, RelyEx propels you over the proverbial roadblocks with a proactive mindset and a passion for challenging projects. We believe that all problems have a solution, and our unique vantage point allows us to provide first-hand solutions to customers in a wide array of industries.

When it comes to your business, don't settle for anything less than RelyEx. Contact our office today to learn more about how we make your shipping experience streamlined and stress-free.

phone-number843-885-3082

Latest News in Colorado Springs, CO

J. Chang-Tablada performance to merge song and storytelling at Colorado Springs arts center

Swing to the “Songs in the Key of J” at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center with artist J. Chang-Tablada on Saturday evening.The live musical performance by Chang-Tablada will merge song and storytelling with the piano. He describes the show as a “solo cabaret” of sorts.“I try to play songs that remind people of really great times, and then I also try to draw sort of my story and my connecting threads through those songs,” he said. ...

Swing to the “Songs in the Key of J” at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center with artist J. Chang-Tablada on Saturday evening.

The live musical performance by Chang-Tablada will merge song and storytelling with the piano. He describes the show as a “solo cabaret” of sorts.

“I try to play songs that remind people of really great times, and then I also try to draw sort of my story and my connecting threads through those songs,” he said.

Red dirt country music, classic country on Colorado Springs band's setlist

The musician will kick off the event paying tribute to his grandparents and his heritage as a Korean-Filipino-Irish-American.

“My grandparents were 1940s jazz musicians in Hawaii, so I open my show with a land acknowledgment, honoring the ancestors but also honoring my grandparents, and actually singing a song they used to sing 80 years ago,” he said. “It’s a lovely way to, in a sense, close the loop, or continue to loop.”

Expect to hear everything at the show, spanning time and genres, Chang-Tablada said.

“I play everything from the 1920s all the way to the 2020s,” he said. “I literally cover every decade, or every genre you can think of in popular American music, and it’s just really sort of songs that have moved me or helped me tell my story, sort of interwoven through each era.”

Sometimes, Chang-Tablada enjoys performing a medley about mirrors to reflect his journey of self-discovery.

“It’s pretty wild because it goes from Sam Smith, to Disney’s ‘Mulan’ and ends with The Chick’s ‘Landslide’ and then into an original song that I wrote about mirrors,” he said.

“Because we’re in the holidays, I’ll also be weaving into my holiday favorites.”

But what Chang-Tablada most looks forward to is sharing the experience with the audience.

“I think that I am this human being who feels most alive and most fully myself when I am sort of breathing through my fingertips into the piano keys, and breathing deeply into the songs that I’m singing,” he said.

“Hopefully in this 80-minute experience, we all get sort of transported to somewhere really sweet, and somewhere really kind, and somewhere sort of healing individually and as a group.”

Dog boarding industry takes hit amid canine respiratory illness in Colorado Springs

As the world found out during the COVID-19 pandemic, infectious illness can be hard on businesses that rely on in-person clients. Now that cases of an unknown canine respiratory illness have been seen in several states including Colorado, the same is true of in-person dog businesses that rely on owners trusting their dogs in public facilities.The strain has become too much for BamPaws Stay and Play, a dog boarding and daycare facility in Colorado Springs that opened in 2017. Owner Laurinda Flaks said the business would be closing soon...

As the world found out during the COVID-19 pandemic, infectious illness can be hard on businesses that rely on in-person clients. Now that cases of an unknown canine respiratory illness have been seen in several states including Colorado, the same is true of in-person dog businesses that rely on owners trusting their dogs in public facilities.

The strain has become too much for BamPaws Stay and Play, a dog boarding and daycare facility in Colorado Springs that opened in 2017. Owner Laurinda Flaks said the business would be closing soon after multiple cancellations and slow business over this holiday season, which should be the busiest boarding time of the year.

"We don't know how long this is going to last," she said of the reaction over the illness, which was first reported in Oregon in the summer. Since then more than a dozen states have reported higher-than-normal rates of a respiratory illness that can develop into life-threatening pneumonia in some cases. Colorado's Front Range has seen more than twice the cases of respiratory illness since September compared to the same period last year, according to Colorado State University.

Veterinarians have cautioned against allowing dogs to interact with each other at dog parks or during stays at boarding facilities and daycares to limit infection, according to previous Gazette reporting.

Flaks said her facility started seeing slower business for boarding near the start of November when the respiratory illness started gaining attention in Colorado. Over Thanksgiving, usually the busiest time of the year for boarding, BamPaws saw under 20 reservations when the facility usually had 50. The facility overall is at 30% capacity and has seen at least 8 cancellation for Christmas.

"We should be full now, but we are not," she said.

Flaks said she does not blame owners following their best judgement, but that she sees the reaction to the illness as inflated. She said that BamPaws has not had any outbreak so far, and that the facility takes precautions to limit the possibility of contagion through screening and cleaning procedures.

Other facilities have similarly seen lower numbers in boarding and daycare since the beginning of the outbreak. Racquel Martinez at Humble Paws said that their reservations for Christmas are currently at 9, when the facility is usually at full capacity closer to 20 dogs. She said that the business was still doing well thanks to a separate dog training program.

Humble Paws has also not seen an outbreak and takes precautions including taking dogs out separately for walks at the facility's fenced outdoor space. She said they have suspended neighborhood walks for the dogs.

Doug Johnson with Sunrise Pet Care, a business with two separate kennel facilities, a private dog park and grooming services, said that facilities were at capacity over the holidays but were being extra cautious with cleaning. He said that because the kennels had individual runs for each dog the chances of infection were lower. Out of over 300 dogs at his facilities, he said only one showed signs of respiratory illness over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Johnson said some customers are still calling to cancel grooming appointments and that attendance at the dog park has been low.

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"There seems to be a big scare," he said.

A less conventional canine business has also seen some impact in the past month. Pub Dog, a restaurant and bar plus dog park, has seen slowing business thanks to the respiratory illness and the usual holiday downturn.

"We definitely got a double whammy," said assistant general manager Cheyenne Childress.

A former veterinary technician, Childress said Pub Dog has been following veterinarian advice to keep communal toys and water bowls away for now. She said the restaurant requires full vaccines for all dogs including puppies and implements a three step process with alcohol-based cleaners to sanitize water bowls and other dog items each night.

She said that the extra measures have helped "tremendously" to increase customer confidence, adding that the restaurant had not yet seen a case.

The state of the outbreak in Colorado Springs has not changed in the past month, according to Dr. Lindsey Ganzer at North Springs Veterinary Referral Center. She said that her hospital has seen about 90 cases since the illness started being reported in the area. She said that the hospital has typically seen one to three cases per day, with no spikes around the holidays as feared.

The specific cause of the uptick in respiratory illness this year has still not been discovered. Ganzer said she was sending samples to three different laboratories across the country to try to isolate a cause.

Nonprofit dog facilities around town have also so far avoided outbreaks. A spokesperson with the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region confirmed that the organization's two shelter facilities have not seen any cases. Neither has smaller Colorado Springs shelter No Hound Unhomed, though that facility is functioning at a lower capacity and only recently began accepting new intakes after a pause.

In the meantime, Flaks said the uncertainty is too much for a business with thin margins to cover overhead on the boarding facility, staff salaries and loans still being paid off from COVID-19 assistance.

"It's been pretty devastating," Flaks said.

Start with barbecue, end with pie at Colorado Springs' Ivywild School | Dining review

Even though Bristol’s Spark Beer + BBQ is housed in a shipping container in front of Ivywild School, it’s very much part of the lively community happening indoors.The same is true of Gold Star Bakery, except it’s inside and practically hidden in a small hallway off the main corridor.We began with barbecue and ended with pie, although that traditional dining pattern isn’t a requirement to enjoy either one.We ordered at the shipping container but got our food inside across from Bristol’s Pub. ...

Even though Bristol’s Spark Beer + BBQ is housed in a shipping container in front of Ivywild School, it’s very much part of the lively community happening indoors.

The same is true of Gold Star Bakery, except it’s inside and practically hidden in a small hallway off the main corridor.

We began with barbecue and ended with pie, although that traditional dining pattern isn’t a requirement to enjoy either one.

We ordered at the shipping container but got our food inside across from Bristol’s Pub. Spark’s menu is standard barbecue fare: brisket, pulled pork, chicken and ribs. Flavors are not ordinary, though. We were told the brisket and ribs are the most popular, so we went with a quarter pound of the brisket ($6; $11 for half a pound; $22 for a pound), which had been in the smoker for eight hours, plus an order of the ribs.

Hickory is the wood of choice, following the low and slow mantra. The brisket was fork tender with a sweet brown sugar and spice rub augmented by the two available sauces: Ivywild Red is sweet; the Axe & the Oak Whiskey Gold is yellow and tangy thanks to a mustard base. Both are exceptional.

Ribs are sold in three to an order ($11) and by the half or full rack ($20 and $30, respectively). The smaller amount is plenty since there’s a significant amount of juicy pork on each rib. The rub is the same as is used on the brisket and pulled pork. They’re a mess to eat, but worth every napkin needed.

We were intrigued by the loaded waffle fries ($15). They’re topped with a choice of brisket or pulled pork, cheddar cheese sauce, sour cream and green onions. It’s like a country version of nachos. The crispy, creamy fries pair well with the gooey toppings. This could be a meal in itself, but is easily shareable as a side.

Sides, like everything on the Spark menu, are made in-house (or in-shipping containers to be accurate). All are $3.50 each .

We opted for the barbecue beans and smoked Gouda mac and cheese. Corkscrew pasta is coated in a creamy, nutty sauce. It’s possible to order the latter topped with brisket or pork, which would take it beyond decadent, which I might go for on my next visit.

The beans, even with the sweet molasses flavor in each bite, were less impressive. Perhaps this is because the mac and cheese evoked such a wow factor.

For several years, Gold Star Bakery operated as a food truck. Now that it’s part of the Ivywild scene, you can have pie anytime.

Pies are sold by the slice. We ordered tart cherry, pumpkin ($7 each) and German chocolate ($8). Other flavors include Dutch apple, salted maple, wild blueberry and bourbon pecan.

The crusts are flaky and each substantial piece deserves more than a gold star. The cherry is, indeed, tart with a crumb topping.

The pumpkin hit the holiday taste bud notes, but it’s the German chocolate that I’ll order again and again. It’s nutty, rich and is clearly related to the cake of the same name.

Bristol’s Spark Beer + BBQ

Low-and-slow barbecue

Contact: 1-719-633-2555; bristolbrewing.com

Prices: $5 to $30

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday

GOLD STAR BAKERY

Freshly baked pies and baked goods

Contact: 1-719-368-6106; goldstarbakery.co

Prices: $7 and $8

Hours: 3-8 p.m. Wednesday & Thursday; 3 -9 p.m. Friday & Saturday; 3-7 p.m. Sunday

Location for both: Ivywild School, 1604 S. Cascade Ave.

Details: Credit cards accepted. Alcohol. Wi-Fi. Outdoor seating.

Favorite dishes: Ribs and Gouda mac and cheese at Spark Beer + BBQ; German chocolate pie at Gold Star Bakery.

Other: Limited gluten-free and vegan options available at both locations.

The Pikes Peak Children’s Museum, a nonprofit run in Colorado Springs since 2005, is homeless once again.

The museum operated at 2565 Airport Road, a storefront in a strip mall in the city’s southeast quadrant, until late July when the organization’s lease expired, will enter 2024 without a brick-and-mortar location.

The president of the Pikes Peak Children's Museum, Catherine Roosevelt, a mother of two, said the organization declined to renew its lease because of rising rental costs and safety concerns with the locale.

“It was never meant to be a permanent spot and rent was holding us back from making investments and changes,” Roosevelt said after the closure.

Colorado Springs' downtown organization lends a hand to boutiques affected by fire

Without a location or rent, some of those changes included running intermittent pop-up events and in-school field trips while hiring a marketing team to redo the nonprofit's website, helping augment the museum's pool of volunteer staff.

Meanwhile, Roosevelt said she is not giving up on a permanent location.

“We saw a need for space,” Roosevelt said. “I put my career aside to get this space going in our community so that kids could have a safe place to grow and play and learn but also a place for parents to go and have their cup of coffee.”

In the search for a permanent location the problem is a simple one — money. The solution is much trickier, Roosevelt said.

In researching how other cities funded children's museums, Roosevelt said it often came down to finding wealthy donors or a shift in political and bureaucratic inertia.

“Museums are not a great business model,” Roosevelt said. “They don't tend to be profitable.”

Colorado Springs retailers eager for in-store shoppers this holiday season

In July 2021, a year after the opening of U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in downtown Colorado Springs, the museum operated with at least a $1 million deficit, The Gazette previously reported. Then in July 2022, under new leadership, museum staff said they ended the year in black but still owed long-term debt.

Unlike the Olympic museum, Roosevelt said the Pikes Peak Children’s Museum would cater more to local families with young children than tourists. Seventy miles north in Denver, Colorado's Springs' larger counterpart sustains a museum of a similar stripe.

The Denver Children's Museum's 47,000-square-foot facility located on a 10.5-acre plot downtown has thrived for decades. According to museum staff, its revenue model consists of visitor admission fees, a membership program, donations, fundraising events, grants, corporate sponsorships as well as income from the museums café and gift shop.

The museum also benefits from being a part of Denver's Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), a unique sales tax within Denver's seven-county metro area that devotes 1 cent on every $10 spent to fund cultural organizations including the Children's Museum.

But that's not the case in Colorado Springs. Instead, Roosevelt is grassroots fundraising with events such as the organization's Noon Year’s Eve balloon drop. Roosevelt said she faced pushback from families after the museum added an attendance fee instead of making the event donation optional.

Build it and employees will come, developers say of 36-story apartment tower in downtown Colorado Springs

“Please understand families make choices like this all the time,” Facebook user Brooke McCarty commented on the museums' event posting. “Would I rather spend $50 for a 2-hour event per person or save that money for season passes to the North Pole for right around the same amount per person?”

As a parent, Roosevelt said she realizes families with young children who would frequent the museum are often penny pinching. That's why Roosevelt has been trying to expand the museum's network of connection with politicians, other nonprofits and community leaders.

Jariah Walker, Executive Director of the Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority, met with Roosevelt about a future home for the museum, but said no urban renewal project has been established.

“It would be something that I’m sure the board would have an interest with,” Walker said.

He noted that such a proposal must be well-planned because upon its approval a 25-year clock begins for that project to collect tax reimbursement as it generates sales or property tax revenue, which is not the character of a nonprofit, Walker said, rather a business.

In the meantime, Roosevelt said she will keep searching for Pikes Peak Children’s Museum's long-term home.

Colorado Springs restaurant inspections return to normal post-pandemic

Leaving a water bottle uncapped or touching your hair without immediately washing your hands may seem inconsequential, but such actions in a restaurant kitchen constitute violations that result in a ding during an unannounced public health inspection.Too many small or large breaches of the food safety code add up to an unfavorable report and a swifter return of the public health inspector.While a surprise visit of a county health official seems like an anxiety-ridden intrusion for some restaurant owners and managers, in recent ...

Leaving a water bottle uncapped or touching your hair without immediately washing your hands may seem inconsequential, but such actions in a restaurant kitchen constitute violations that result in a ding during an unannounced public health inspection.

Too many small or large breaches of the food safety code add up to an unfavorable report and a swifter return of the public health inspector.

While a surprise visit of a county health official seems like an anxiety-ridden intrusion for some restaurant owners and managers, in recent years the system has become less disciplinary-minded and more instruction-focused, said Sammi Jo Lawson, retail food program manager for the El Paso County Public Health.

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“We work really hard to build partnerships and provide education, so that the business owner knows we’re there first and foremost to help them — although it may not seem that way,” she said. “They’re not always excited to see us.”

Some say they don’t mind. Because who doesn’t want to avoid the chance of spreading a food-borne illness, said Steve Kanatzar, a pilot who 22 years ago opened The Airplane Restaurant in Colorado Springs. The aviation-themed eatery near the airport is built inside an old Boeing KC-97, an Air Force tanker aircraft.

“It used to be that some restaurants would hate it (an inspection), but we want to serve safe food, too,” Kanatzar said. "It's not an adversarial or contentious relationship like it used to be."

That an inspector will arrive at the door unexpectedly and spend two to four hours of acting like a fly on the wall watching, checking and making notes is necessary to achieve the goal of recording an operational snapshot in time, Kanatzar said.

“That’s why they don’t notify you — because anybody can do a dog-and-pony show,” he said. “They want to look at our practices. They’ll observe cooking and food being served to make sure no bad habits have been formed.”

More times than not, if an inspector spots a deficiency, they’ll red flag it but then help staff correct the problem on site, Kanatzar said.

“If the health inspector sees something that requires a change in process, we’ll work with the owners; there are different ways to go about it,” Lawson said.

A few weeks short of the end of 2023, reports show the most commonly marked violation in El Paso County is "Food contact surfaces; cleaned and sanitized,” she said.

“Higher violations tend to be in establishments that don’t have managerial control — if they don’t have basic food safety knowledge,” Lawson said. “When we encounter issues, it’s typically a knowledge gap. It’s not that they’re purposely trying to do something.”

A major change could be coming to the industry, as the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is set to vote Jan. 17 on whether to adopt a new federal drug and food administration food code. The state currently follows the 2013 federal food code.

One of the major changes in the updated version is that a certified food protection manager must be on duty at a restaurant during all hours of operation. The Colorado Restaurant Association is calling for enactment of that requirement to be delayed for a year, to give restaurants time to get people trained and in place, said Kanatzar, past chairman of the board of the association.

The class is more in-depth than usual, he said, and the Pikes Peak Restaurant Association in conjunction with food purveyors offer the class for local restaurants. The new code also updates how restaurants are to handle food allergies.

An emphasis on teaching rather than reprimanding was solidified during the coronavirus pandemic, when the governor ordered restaurants to close for in-person dining and switch to takeout service.

County public health employees became the experts on interpreting the new ways of doing things and conveying that to businesses that fall under their scrutiny, which include restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, mobile food trucks, coffee shops, bakeries, school cafeterias, health care facilities, residential senior centers and special-event vendors.

The situation was confusing and chaotic as the governor’s public health orders were in flux throughout the pandemic, Lawson said.

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“It forced us to shift priorities in 2020, 2021 and into 2022,” she said. “My team assisted owners and operators through navigating the ever-changing rules, based on where they fell as a business sector.”

For example, grocery stores and convenience stores had no capacity restrictions, but restaurants and event spaces did. That necessitated 15 to 20 environmental health specialists assisting businesses in determining their capacity, and creating outdoor dining, drive-thru and food delivery and pickup models, where none existed before.

“We’re used to interpreting rules and regulations, which is why were put into interpreting rules the governor set,” Lawson said referring to how employees had to pivot. “We really wanted to remove any barriers that businesses might have had, and we still had to complete our typical day-to-day routine.”

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In addition to conducting routine inspections, environmental health specialists are called in anytime a restaurant is sold or a different owner takes over. They were busy during the pandemic.

In 2021, 233 food-related facilities underwent a change of ownership, another 208 last year and 247 this year, with several weeks of 2023 yet uncounted.

“We definitely saw a lot of turnover in restaurants — more than normal — and from a licensing standpoint it’s the highest,” Lawson said. “The impacts to the industry were significant.”

Despite some restaurant closures, the number of full-service eateries has steadily grown over the past five years, increasing from 1,516 in 2019 to 1,683 this year, also the most the county has ever had.

Total retail food licenses, which include grocery and convenience stores and other businesses with public food consumption, grew from 2,691 in 2019 to 3,072 this year, another record high.

Public health also established a COVID call line for the public. The majority of calls were not related to retail food issues but complaints about what the governor’s orders said and what was required of restaurants and other businesses.

Between March 2020 and March 2022, the hotline fielded 1,996 general questions and 2,141 complaints, according to statistics from El Paso County Public Health. Of those, 766 were specific to retail food establishments, Lawson said.

In normal times, the department handles 30 complaints a month or 360 a year pertaining to the retail food arena, officials said.

The higher the risk, the more often a restaurant will be inspected, Lawson said, whether that's every other year, every year or two to three times a year. The frequency is dictated by whether a restaurant passes or fails an inspection, if there’s a change in process and whether they serve high-risk food, such as sushi. A convenience store that sells commercially made food and is not assembling anything is very low risk and subject to inspection every other year, for example.

Preventing the likelihood of people getting sick from food-borne germs involve following good hygiene practices, such as proper use of gloves, maintaining proper cooking and holding temperatures, buying from approved sources, eliminating contamination of equipment and correctly cleaning and sanitizing.

Inspectors examine 56 points pertaining to the restaurant's risk of food-borne illnesses to its use of good industry practices.

"A lot of it is common sense: washing hands your thoroughly after going to the bathroom or smoking, or touching your face or hair, and not coming to work if you're sick," Kanatzar said.

Post-pandemic, the public health processes are back to normal, Lawson said, and a new software program allows for daily, live updating of inspections.

Shutting down a restaurant for violations is rare but happens, she said.

“Anytime we have to do a closure we are working diligently with that owner; we don’t leave without outlining specific corrections or conditions for reopening, so they know what has to be done,” Lawson said.

Ring in the New Year with these Colorado Springs events

Whether looking to stay up to party into the new year or seeking something to do with the whole family, enter 2024 with these celebrations around Colorado Springs.Kick off New Year’s celebrations early with the family at COS City Hub’s Noon Years Eve.With proceeds benefiting the Pikes Peak Children’s Museum, the event is kid-friendly with sparkling apple juice, a countdown to noon and a balloon drop. There will also be face painting, a balloon artist, a cookie walk and special visit from the Cheyenne Mountain ...

Whether looking to stay up to party into the new year or seeking something to do with the whole family, enter 2024 with these celebrations around Colorado Springs.

Kick off New Year’s celebrations early with the family at COS City Hub’s Noon Years Eve.

With proceeds benefiting the Pikes Peak Children’s Museum, the event is kid-friendly with sparkling apple juice, a countdown to noon and a balloon drop. There will also be face painting, a balloon artist, a cookie walk and special visit from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoomobile.

The event starts at 10:30 a.m. at 4303 Austin Bluffs Parkway. Tickets are $50. More information can be found at pikespeakchildrensmuseum.org/noon-year-s-eve.

The Broadmoor will host two events to ring in the new year, including a New Year’s Eve Bash and New Years Eve Gala.

The bash will be a high-energy, more casual celebration held at The Broadmoor’s International Center, 21 Lake Circle. Doors open at 8:30 p.m., and guests can dance the night away to live funk, rock and blues music before a confetti cannon goes off at midnight, along with a champagne toast. Tickets are $75.

The Broadmoor’s New Year’s Eve Gala is a more formal experience held in Broadmoor Hall. The event will feature a gourmet five-course dinner accompanied by music from Julie Bradley and Marcus Lovett. At midnight, guests will celebrate with champagne and a balloon drop. Doors open for this event at 7:30 p.m., and tickets start at $315.

More information can be found at broadmoor.com/holidays for both events.

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Spend New Year’s Eve in Old Colorado City for the second annual celebration.

With music, drinks, photo ops and s’mores, this free, family-friendly, event starts at 6 p.m. and goes into the night at Colbrunn Court. More information can be found at facebook.com/events/286831793982373 or shopoldcoloradocity.com/events/nye.

Laugh your way into the new year with the Pikes Punks Comedy Show at The Public House, 3104 N. Nevada Ave.

Starting at 8 p.m., this comedy contest will feature audience giveaways and a slew of local comedians.

Hosted by Russell Keller, tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. More information can be found at tinyurl.com/5n6vd8bn.

Loonee’s Comedy Corner will be hosting a New Year’s Eve Party with comedian Paul Conyers, Korey David and Steven Roberts.

The event will feature two shows, one at 7:30 p.m. and another at 10 p.m. to ring in the new year. The latter show is for 21 and older and $32 per person until Friday. It includes a bottle of champagne per two people, party favors, giveaways, a balloon drop and more. More information can be found at looneescc.com/events/83249.

Party into the new year at the Whiskey Baron Dance Hall & Saloon, 5781 N Academy Blvd.

Starting at 6 p.m., this 21+ event will feature live music from the Jeffrey Alan Band, prize giveaways and a champagne toast.

Tickets start at $10. More information can be found at thewhiskeybarondancehallandsaloon.com.

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