We all want to go somewhere where everybody knows our name.
And though Sam, Diane, Rhea, nor any of the other “Cheers” faithfuls will be there to greet you when you walk in, Greeley’s Downtown Armory has done a pretty solid job of capturing that vibe.
Since opening the current iteration of the Armory in May, operators Pablo Guzman, Ashley Fusco and Bethany Wipf have curated a space where it’s hard not to feel welcome.
“This place is probably the most I’ve felt I belong in a very long time,” local artist Bekka Jean said.
Since becoming a regular shortly after it opened (she estimates she spends anywhere from 15 to 20 hours at the Armory weekly), she began hosting “Keys at the Armory,” in which she and other local pianists convene to perform.
“Come for the coffee, stay for the vibes,” Wipf said.
Keith Wipf, owner of the Cauldron Espresso, makes a drink for a customer in front of Cauldron Espresso's menu at the Downtown Armory in Greeley on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (Brice Tucker/Staff Photographer)Fusco and her partner, Keith, also operate Cauldron Espresso out of the Armory. Guzman operates a secondary Midnight Oil location and Fusco runs Figgy Twig Specialties upstairs.
When you walk in, you’re greeted by books on all sides — even floor to ceiling as Guzman mimicked the original Midnight Oil’s book towers. To the left is LaSara’s Spirit, an Indigenous art and herb shop that also sells assorted horror novelties, operated by Stacy and Deb Suniga.
“I think people come in because there’s a community here,” Stacy Suniga said. “It’s different than just going into a typical store where you’re only looking to make a purchase. Here, you have a reason to hang out and meet people.”
Tumblers with horror movie characters are on display in La Sara's Spirit at the Downtown Armory in Greeley on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (Brice Tucker/Staff Photographer)As you make your way back through Midnight Oil, you’ll cross a worn-out blue line on the floor. A remnant from the decades during which the Armory operated as a bar and restaurant.
“That was the ‘are you old enough to drink line,’ ” book seller, death educator and resident Armory historian Rachael-Anne Omps said.
Those under 18 — then eventually 21 as the legal drinking age changed — were contained to the restaurant in the front half of the building. Those old enough could make their way to the back, where they would be greeted by a bar with a stage and a dance floor.
While the stage and dance floor remain, guests nowadays will be greeted by the aroma of coffee brewing and eats being whipped up in the kitchen.
Along with Cauldron Espresso, Bandit Burrito (from 6 a.m. to noon) and Shinobis Paninis (from noon to 6 p.m.) occupy the back half of the first floor.
On the former dance floor now sit a handful of tables for people to meet, work or just enjoy their food and coffee. If you can’t make it to a “Keys at the Armory” event, there’s a chance on any given afternoon that Bekka Jean will also be serenading guests on the piano.
“It’s what we call a third space,” Omps said. “So your first space is your home. Your second space is where you work, and your third space is where you find community. And we really try to promote community here.”
The Armory also hosts a slew of events, including music and other creative performances on the stage. To learn more or to book an event, email Wipf at CauldronEspresso@Gmail.com.
Heading upstairs — past the mannequin nestled in a cluster of plants, of course — guests will reach Figgy Twigs and be met by a collection of plants, decorations and vintage clothing, contributed by a handful of community members.
Plants are displayed at Plantasia on the second floor of the Downtown Armory in Greeley on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (Brice Tucker/Staff Photographer)Through the set of double doors, visitors will see paintings and other artwork for sale arranged across the walls — featured by BlackBox Arts Collective and also contributed by community members. They will also likely see at least a person or two sitting at the ledge overlooking the stage and former dance floor.
“People work on school work, books, plays, poems, artwork,” Omps said. “Pretty much anything.”
Bekka Jean echoed Omps’ thoughts.
“I feel like everybody is pretty in tune with what your project is that day,” she said.
And last, but certainly not least, as you make your way to the northeast side of the second floor, you will fine On Pointe Dance and Movement, owned by Melissa Jacobson.
Melissa Jacobson, center, a dance teacher and coach at On Point Dance and Movement, teaches sisters Adelind Davies, 2, on the right and Tessa Davies, 4, on the left, during a dance class at the Downtown Armory in Greeley on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (Brice Tucker/Staff Photographer)Jacobson hosts a slew of dance classes throughout the week targeted at just about every age and ability range.
“Working in a co-op has been such a privilege,” Wipf said. “Getting to start my business side by side with other people who know what they’re doing and have been so encouraging and welcoming and supportive. Not just finding a space where we really meshed, but helping create that space has really been a privilege.”
History of the Armory
Commissioned in 1921 and opened the following year, the Armory has one of the richest histories of any Greeley building. It began as a National Guard training center, twice served as an emergency morgue and spent most of its life serving as a bar and restaurant.
Courtesy of Omps and the city of Greeley, here’s a brief timeline of what’s been happening at the Armory.
1921
The State Armory is commissioned.
1922
The Armory is completed and a dedication is held on Armistice Day. By mid-November, two dances per week were already being held in the building.
“It’s original intention was to be a National Guard Station for the 157th Infantry,” Omps said. “So think college-aged or late-high-school-aged folks coming in here, getting their National Guard training done and doing monthly refreshers and routines.”
1930s and ’40s
The Armory hosts United Service Organization Dances and vaudeville theater. It also serves as the site of traveling shows, Saturday night fights and professional wrestling matches.
“You could get it all here,” Omps said. “Because they had to keep the National Guard kids entertained.”
1955
The Armory serves as an emergency morgue when a plane was blown up and crashed in a field in Weld County near Longmont. The crash killed 44 people.
1959
Our Lady of Peace Church begins using the Armory as a youth center.
1961
The Armory again serves as an emergency morgue when a LaSalle school bus is hit by a train. The crash killed 22 children.
1962
The Boys and Girls Club of Greeley is formed. It began using the building in the following years.
1972
Greeley National Bank acquired the building and sold it to Grand American Enterprises, which remodeled it for use as a restaurant.
2007
The State Armory Restaurant shuts down and the building sits vacant for years.
2012
Waypoints Church moves in.
2023
Waypoints Church leaves.
2025
Guzman, Wipf and Fusco open the current iteration of the Armory.
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