Kevin Dexter, the owner of Shuga’s, said his local restaurant on Cascade Avenue, about a mile and a half from campus, is more than a place to eat; it operates as a cultural third space, sustaining a decades-long connection with Colorado College by offering students a safe haven beyond campus walls.
Colorado College students and alumni have found a home at Shuga’s for the past 24 years.
If Shuga’s was a person at a party, Dexter said she would be “a mysterious femme fatale and everyone would be so captivated by her.” Shuga’s is decked head to toe in quirky, curated art, with seasonally rotating pieces that each come with their own story.
The restaurant, housed in a former grocery store, is “a little kind of humble, cozy, cute, sexy little space,” Dexter said, adding that it has become a neighborhood cornerstone for both first dates and late nights. When asked about the culture, he said, “We also like to kind of get wild after the clock strikes 11.”
According to Dexter, the establishment’s longevity is rooted in its 24-year relationship with Colorado College.
On any given night, Dexter said students, alumni and professors can be found sharing tables, stories and late dinners.
Dexter recounted his many connections with students throughout the years, seeing them attend the school, graduate and eventually return to visit Shuga’s.
Dexter believes the relationship with CC endures because of a shared academic, theatrical and queer-friendly culture, making Shuga’s a home students return to long after leaving campus.