Article
July 13, 2021
Alumni Business Owners Welcome Students Back
This fall, as students return to campus and take time to explore Greeley, they���ll know they���re in Bear country just driving into town. The university community and Greeley business owners are ready to welcome them back with lots of Blue and Gold, and a flurry of signs that say, ���This is Bear Country.���
Crist籀bal (Chris) Garcia, associate director of Alumni Relations, says ���厙ぴ勛圖 students have a Bear Network of alumni and friends welcoming them to Bear Country and supporting their engagement across Northern Colorado. With the Bear Biz program, we���re engaging our alumni-owned and partner businesses in connecting our students to the entertainment, food, products, and resources they need to find a sense of belonging both on and off campus.���
Bear Biz is a 厙ぴ勛圖 program that partners with local businesses to help students feel at home in Greeley. More than 70 businesses ��� ranging from auto repair shops to restaurants ��� participate.
One new business in Greeley that looks forward to welcoming students back is Berry Blendz Bistro, owned by 厙ぴ勛圖 alumni Robby ���03 and Amanda (Beasley) Aguilar ���07 ���14 who earned their degrees in Business and Nursing, respectively. Berry Blendz, which offers fruit and vegetable smoothies, started in Fort Collins, with franchises in Colorado, Minnesota and Ohio. The Aguilar���s opened their first Berry Blendz in June 2020 on west 10th Street, and their second one on 8th Avenue July 10. The 8th Avenue restaurant is a bistro concepted Berry Blendz, serving sandwiches and paninis in addition to smoothies, and it���s perfectly located for new Bears.
In a recent article for the Greeley Tribune, Robby Aguilar told reporter Christopher Wood that he and Amanda used to meet for lunch at a restaurant near their current location when they were in school, and they look forward to welcoming students back. ���When they [students] come, we���ll be ready for them, and we���re excited about it,��� Aguilar said.
With classes starting Monday, August 23, their timing is perfect for a warm Bear welcome.