CONNECTING TIME & PLACE

Colorado Springs was not lacking in beautiful outdoor spaces, but what Joel was looking for was a space that people could go to, no matter the weather, where they would find beauty in everything from the lighting and seating to the vibes and even the drinks. 

Thirty Three is a space unlike any other in Colorado Springs, which was exactly the intention behind it. The best way to describe it is like a speakeasy, but in Joel’s words, “It’s really just a damn good bar, but it has that vibe.” 

Walking in the main door, guests step into a room where turquoise seating lines the walls and the hand-crafted bar dons a shade of light pink. The room has a 1930s feel and a soundscape of classics like Los Panchos. Beyond the sliding door are gold-rimmed stairs that guests descend to the lobby which then leads into the larger bar area. The entire experience, from the moment guests walk in, is a feast for the eyes. There is no shortage of gorgeous light fixtures, colors, and textures that come together to make the soul feel like it’s on an adventure.

Every detail was personally selected by Joel, who designed the entire interior and even hand built many of the fixtures such as the bar guests see when they first walk in upstairs. “Everything is about the aesthetic,” Joel says, adding that he selected everything from the paint color and height of the seating options to the glassware and light fixtures. Everything had to be just right. 

The menu at Thirty Three is another aspect of the rich sensory experience. Bound in leather, the menu has a theme, tells a story, and offers new tempting drinks. As of this writing, Thirty Three is on its second menu, built around the experience of time. The intention of this menu is to encourage guests to slow down, enjoy the moment, and be present with the people they’ve chosen to spend this time with. 

Though detailed, the menu is easy to navigate with sections like “Back in Time,” which features guest favorites from previous menus, and “Take One’s Time,” with drinks that guests are encouraged to sip slowly. There is also the “Time of My Life” which features non-boozy drinks that are just as carefully crafted and exquisitely presented as the rest of the drinks on the menu. As Joel said, “There are times when I don’t want to have a boozy drink, but I want to have something that’s really good, and is not just juice and flavored soda water.” Whatever mood guests are in, they can find a drink to match at Thirty Three. 

Beneath each drink description, guests will find the name of the person or group responsible for its creation. Thirty Three is staffed with what Joel calls “brilliant minds that deserve all the credit I can give them.” The menu is more than a description of offerings–it’s an expression of the attention and detail given by the talented people behind the bar. 

Although Joel is the founder and owner of Thirty Three, he also plays a supporting role in its day-to-day operations. This is intentional as he believes that his team should be empowered to not only create the drinks featured in the menu, but to take ownership of the experience of each guest they encounter. 

“I believe the people on the other side of your order make or break your experience,” Joel said. “If you don’t have good people around, you probably won’t want to be there. It all starts with the people behind the bar.” And the people who enter Thirty Three are “guests” not “customers.” They are guests in the space that was curated and lovingly brought to life for them and it’s the team’s mission to make sure they have a good time and a good drink while they’re there. 

As a former bartender, Joel had connections with people he’d met and worked with over the years and asked one of them to be the Head of Operations. He gave full autonomy to this person to select their team, and he couldn’t be happier with the result. “It’s nice when you can hand pick someone you know who can run an organization very well, is very very talented in what they do, and can help guide and push it in the direction you need,” Joel said. The success of the bar is because of the team that is running it, and Joel couldn’t stress that enough.

Joel is not a native to Colorado Springs, but he moved to the city, fell in love with it, and knew that he wanted to contribute to it. He describes Colorado Springs as a big town with a small town feel, and he wanted to add a beautiful space similar to ones that he’d seen in bigger cities like San Diego. 

Colorado Springs has grown quite a bit and Joel said he’s “excited to see how many things are happening downtown — new food concepts, hotel renovations, new hotels. The bar scene is getting better and better every year, and I’m glad we’ve been able to contribute to that. All the players are contributing great things, but I felt there was something missing and that’s why I did this.” With new homes being built and new people moving into the city, Joel said that what Colorado Springs needs now is to give those people a reason to stay. “The city needs to be built up in a way that people really want to be here. People want variety.” 

While his career in finance is going well and he is moving into the mergers and acquisitions space, he focused on Thirty Three day and night to get it going. Despite the challenges he faced, like having to go through construction in the middle of the chaos of 2020, he was able to bring his vision to life. 

“I’m a bit stubborn,” Joel said, describing his determination to get Thirty Three up and running. “I don’t know how to give up. If I believe in something, I will stop at nothing until it is complete. And despite the hurdles and everything I had to deal with through this process (like COVID happening in the middle of construction), it was fun and I learned some good lessons.” 

There will always be risks associated with starting something new, and Joel can attest to the fact that fully designing a bar from the ground up was no easy feat. However, the success of Thirty Three has proven his theory that the city was ready for something new, and he believes that people are hungry for more spaces to explore and make memories. But it will take more people with a willingness to take a risk.

When asked what advice he would give to anyone who wants to bring their own vision to life, he said “Be determined, driven, and have a purpose behind everything you do. Don’t give up, just persist.”