Rocky’s
Corner
Coal Mine and PierceLittleton, CO
If customer service is dying, Rocky’s Corner is the defibrillator for its revival.
At least it seems as if there is enough positive energy in the place.
Snuggled tightly against the back of a liquor store on the corner of Coal Mine and Pierce, Rocky, the institution’s owner and operator, greets his customers with unconditional warmth that keeps you coming back. He'll even give your dog a treat--then ask if he can give another.
But this is not an advertisement for his coffee or breakfast burritos, which come wrapped elegantly in foil and topped with a bright orange label—a gift for his customers on their way to work. This is, rather, a testament to a belief that good people exist.
The American spirit is rooted in the rags-to-riches archetype. Stories of good people wading through the muck of life and coming out clean on the other side—that’s what we live for. That is Rocky, who coincidentally lives for everybody else.
Born into a family of five—all raised by his mother after his father passed away when he was 5—Rocky carries the toughness of a kid raised on the streets, of a kid raised to work hard and “never lie, steal, or cheat.” From an early age, he was taught to cook, clean, and most importantly, be kind.
"I got to a point where, I’m walking down the streets, kids are getting shot in my back yard, and I have to convince a guy pointing a gun in my face that I can be his friend,” Rocky said. “I’ve had a gun pointed to my face 15 times, not kidding. What I know, though, is that people are people. They like when you’re real with them.”
And there began his life philosophy of “being real” with everyone he met.
“Why not?” he asks. “Why not wake up every day and smile? Why not be kind to people, enjoy life? If you don’t, you get darkness. The sun doesn’t rise all the way. You need to surround yourself with people who love you, and treat people with respect.”
Rocky toted his kindness to his job with United Airlines—where he worked for 27 years and met celebrities, visited the world’s greatest cities, and experienced all the world’s luxuries.
Rags to riches, right?
But Rocky doesn’t care about all that.
“I don’t care who you are. I don’t care if you’re rich or poor. I don’t care where you come from. All I care about is that we’re people. I care about you and me having a conversation,” he says.
While working at the airline he also ran a remodeling company. His life was centered on serving people. Then, two back surgeries and United Airlines layoffs pushed him into an early retirement.
“I couldn’t just stop,” Rocky explains. “If you stop interacting with people, if you stop being active, you age. This opportunity (the Burrito and Coffee stand) came about, and I couldn’t pass it up.”
Just as he was about to elaborate, a car pulled up to his window.
“Hey darling! What’s going on this morning?”
The customer returns his excitement.
“Hey Rock! I just need a Veggie Burrito. You have any left?”
“Ohh if you’re lucky” he says with a smile. He does a nifty spin move to the back of his shop and picks a burrito from the stack—perfectly wrapped, labeled with a neon sticker that reads “Veggie.”
“Ohh look who’s lucky today!”
She hands him her money. He gives her the burrito, which she immediately unwraps. A gift to enjoy on the way to work.
As our conversation continued, Rocky handed me a stool through the window and invited me to sit down. He would stop frequently to wave to cars at the stoplight in front of the store or to serve customers, and he handled the morning chaos with undeviating joy. Within two hours, Rocky sold over 100 burritos, and crossed paths with over 100 friends.
“It’s like this, man,” he continues, his arms on the countertop like a wise bartender of yore. “I came from nothing, and I’ve lived the life of a 100 year old man. I have a beautiful wife, beautiful kids, 10 grandchildren, one great grandchild; I’ve fished and hiked this beautiful place. I’ve met so many wonderful people. I told my son, If God takes me today, tell everyone I was ready. Man, I’ve done everything I could’ve ever wanted. So why not keep going? Why not help people?”
He shows me a picture of his body building days, along with a few of him holding a 45 pound fish with his brother.
“I’m so blessed. So fortunate. I’m not religious, but I do believe in God. I asked Him for one thing in this life—to be a father, to be a father and live long enough so my kids know me. He gave me that. I didn’t have that, and I was able to do that for my kids. And man, my kids are beautiful. All this—” he points to the mountains and pictures—“all this is extra. I love waking up and interacting with these people.”
This man, who opened up his life to me after I bought a Chorizo burrito and Carmel Macchiato—which were both fantastic, by the way—is proof that spreading kindness is effective.
Any man in America can open a business, but it takes a special person to run it the way Rocky does—with a smile on his face and a genuine desire to build relationships with his customers.
Around 11 a.m., Rocky runs out of burritos, and will just sell coffee until 1. I shake my head and marvel at this man who has mastered the craft of customer service (and breakfast culinary).
Well, Rock, you have a gift. And this one doesn’t come wrapped in foil, nor will it ever run out.
