Left Hand Laurel--Bert Steele

As the Niwot Market approaches its 20th anniversary this month, its owner Bert Steele admits, "I still work more than I have to." Yet it's apparent he loves his work, which he's been doing since the age of eight. That's when Steele first started bagging groceries at his parents' grocery store in Fort Collins.

A modest, self-deprecating man, involved in many community activities from helping to organize a pancake breakfast for Niwot's 4th of July celebration, to sponsoring Friday antique car shows, to hosting Friday evening dinners outside in summer with a buffet and music, Steele is much beloved in Niwot.

"Bert is a saint," said Tim Wise, owner of Wise Buys Antiques, who started his shop on 2nd Avenue in 1986. "He has hired so many local people over time, including my son. Bert is good folks. He is so entrenched in the community, and he opens his doors. Niwot Market is a community hub."

Another fan is Eric Bergeson, owner of Niwot Wheel Works and a resident here for 22 years, who said, "Bert is very modest, plain-spoken – like apple pie and motherhood. He fits the culture of Niwot. His market is so central to everything in town."

Steele agreed to meet to talk about his path from an eight-year-old "sacker" to a 19-year-old "stocker" in his parents' grocery store in Fort Collins, to a highly respected 70-year-old entrepreneur, community leader and inspiration to many. He is also the father of four children, including daughter Alison and son Seth, who work with him at Niwot Market, and a grandfather of three.

On Feb. 17, two of his daughters gave birth that day. It was also, he said, his late mother's birthday. Tears came to his eyes.

"My mom and dad were really good people," he continued. His father was born in Kansas, his mother in Nebraska. Both had grown up on farms in the American heartland.

"My dad was just good to everybody," said Steele. "He acted tough, but deep inside, he was kind. He employed handicapped people. Dad would loan people money and not always expect to be paid back. Dad opened his grocery store in 1940, before the war. He was very much an entrepreneur."

Steele's parents eventually owned six Colorado grocery stores – in Windsor, Fort Morgan, Niwot and three in Fort Collins. At some point, as Fort Collins grew and changed, the city imposed a road closure for six months in front of one of their stores and within a short while, the business had gone into bankruptcy and his parents had both died.

Undaunted, Steele purchased the Niwot Market his parents had owned out of bankruptcy, and has, in the past 20 years, made it into an iconic center of town life.

"I shopped in the Steele family grocery store in Fort Collins in the 1960s, and today I shop at the Steele family market and delicious deli in Niwot," said Kathy Koehler, a long-time resident and community volunteer. "Bert's leadership, honesty and giving personality reflects in Alison, Seth and the quality of the staff. They are truly members of our Niwot community."

When asked to give an example of Steele's kindness, one source mentioned an incident that happened recently. "A large trailer truck was parked one night outside the loading dock at Niwot Market, blocking it. Bert didn't want to ruin the guy's day, so he had the vehicle towed, but only to a different spot in the parking lot."

Asked to describe the incident, Steele said: "It was a camper put on a trailer with no license plate parked in the middle of our loading docks. The truth is, I was concerned, because it happened at night. I could have had the vehicle impounded, but it didn't seem like we should cause anyone grief, so I told the tow truck guy to just move it to another area in the parking lot. The next day it was gone."

Steele, who lives close enough to his market so that he can "walk to work," said for fun he "likes to go shooting at a target range where I take my Colt revolvers. You really have to concentrate when you shoot. You have to focus."

His most passionate hobby, however, is the Antique Car Show on Friday nights in his parking lot that he started during the pandemic.

Remodeling his 1963 Chevy Stepside Pick-up truck was a great joy, said Steele. He was sitting at a café table in the market and above his head on the wall behind him was a large wooden model of the bright red Chevy he loves so much.

"Pat Murphy gave that to me," he said. Murphy, a long-time local realtor, when asked to describe Steele, wrote in an email, "Bert is a true asset to the Niwot community." She said she so appreciated "his willingness to show up at 6 a.m. to help with the pancake breakfasts that raise money for various causes. I can count on him," she added. "The Niwot Market is truly a center of activity in town. It's a treasure."

As Steele rose to finish our interview, he noted the tables in front of the deli counter and sushi bar had become crowded. We walked toward the front of the store, toward a flower shop called Juniper & Twine, a small jewelry store called Pebble Art Jewelry and the Nook, a little gift shop. All three small businesses have sublet space from the market for years and make the whole space seem truly a tiny town.

A man of few words, he had talked more about his family and customers than about himself. He smiled shyly, waved good-bye and disappeared into his office. Bert Steele was back at work.