For more than 80 years, the Dardano family has provided quality, comfort footwear, expert repair services and exceptional customer service to the Colorado community. The company was started in 1938 by Frank Dardano, who opened his first shoe repair shop in downtown Denver. This also happened to be the tail end of what we know as an era of economic depression where most products and goods were not replaced with a quick errand to a local department store; rather consumers looked for a dependable repair shop that would clean, stitch, and restore their treasured items. Dardano’s was established with the goal of offering repair services that would make the products last longer than initially intended. This level of integrity and craftsmanship is alive and evident in every aspect of this fourth generation, family-owned business today.

Dardano’s flagship location is in Denver off Colorado Boulevard and they have recently expanded to their second location in Broomfield as of August 2022. This family-owned business has made quite a name for themselves over the years, so much so that their Denver location has been listed on Trip Advisor as the #11 Thing to Do for shopping in Denver as a traveler! With that kind of reputation the Dardano family was incredibly intentional with their approach to expanding their retail footprint with a second location.

Vice President, Dillon Dardano engaged Thompson Engineering to assist with the Broomfield location expansion, and in our initial conversations we learned the new building was equipped with unique features that allowed Dillon to get creative with a new approach to the Dardano’s shopping experience. The Broomfield building included a drive through lane, extremely high ceilings and a floor space that was quite compartmentalized and not functional for the retail space Dillon envisioned. Additionally, the current equipment was not aesthetically pleasing and and the ductwork was incredibly distracting with its current ceiling placement and lack of conciliatory paint. None of these components were ideal for a retail space known for an exceptional shopping experience. Nevertheless, Dillon’s dedication and excitement behind this project was palpable and our team could not help but absorb and share his fervor to execute on every detail.

One of our favorite aspects of this project was Dillon’s idea to incorporate a coffee and bakery shop within the store to take advantage of the drive through window opportunity. This was a new concept for the Dardano’s, however, they are no strangers to revolutionizing the customer experience, and over the years have evolved from repairs, to offering one of the largest and best selections of footwear with over 60 brands from all over the world, as well as apparel and accessories. This new level of attention to detail and catering to their clientele was impressive and special. Our team has significant experience with code regulations and requirements for the food service industry, and we were able to design for all the necessary equipment and product offerings with confidence and ease.

Additionally, one of Dillon’s major intentions with this project was to keep customers focused on the retail products and services. The high ceilings and unattractive duct were at the top of the design teams list to tackle. Thompson Engineering redesigned the placement of the duct in an effort to make it as inconspicuous as possible, and the architecture team incorporated clouds to further conceal the equipment. The architectural clouds and lighting certainly posed design constraints for the HVAC systems, but coordination among the entire design team is a specialty area for Thompson Engineering.

Dillon shared with us that what separates Dardano’s from other retailers is top-notch service and attention to detail. It was our mission to deliver this level of attention, care and personal ownership not only to the Dardano’s brand, but to the Dardano family and their legacy. The Dardano family is rightfully so, incredibly proud of their cobbler roots inherited from Frank Dardano, and we are humbled and proud to have been a part of this project that honors Dillon’s great grandfather, Frank.