Dennis Dinsmore

Wyatt’s Wet Goods • Village at the Peaks • Longmont, CO

While many welcome retirement, Dennis Dinsmore was having none of it. As the time drew near, he instead jumped headfirst into a new venture, agreeing to partner with a younger friend who could take over their business when Dennis decided he was ready to kick his heels up and finally retire.

Challenge #1: the friend didn’t last. But Dennis moved ahead anyway—and in 2014, after NewMark Merrill’s Allen Ginsborg approached him about a prime spot at Village at the Peaks (which was in development at the time), he opened Wyatt’s Wet Goods. This anchor-sized, full-service liquor store boasts the largest selection of wine and spirits in Longmont, CO. Locals flock there to find fine wines, unique craft beer and local selections from favorite wineries, breweries, and distilleries. They have it all!

In addition to going it alone, Dennis faced some other startup challenges. Navigating the intricacies of raising capital, finding the right people to manage his store, and the unexpected delayed opening of another anchor tenant all posed their own issues. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but never anticipated the extraordinary effort it would take to launch in a new market.

With his typical fortitude, Dennis employed an aggressive guerilla marketing strategy that reached customers in unexpected ways, engaged local charitable groups and partnered with fellow merchants to build his business from the ground up.

And he believes NewMark Merrill has been instrumental in his success.

NewMark Merrill was always available and accessible. From marketing assistance, to providing intuitive feedback on market penetration to great on-site security, they’ve proven repeatedly to be a loyal partner.