Tai Beldock Once Again Brings European Style to Denver
WRITTEN BY ANNIE BLOJ // CULTURE & STYLE EDITOR
Tai Beldock (l)
Chances are, you probably know Tai Beldock as the co-founder of Erico Motorsports, one of the first European- focused motorsports dealerships in the country. However, one may not realize that Tai can also add real estate developer and luxury footwear distributor to her impressive resume. Together with her husband John Beldock, they have expanded the concept of Erico Motorsports through the development of Octane Alley. Working together with the city to retain the original vibe of RiNo while creating a retail and dining destination in the heart of RiNo. Luckily for us, she has also used her self-described “obsession” with Embassy London Shoes to become the first United States distributor of the brand. Tai’s career has taken some unusual pivots, ones that she continually is able to share with Denver.
Annie Bloj: Tai, you are a Denver icon, known for seeing opportunities all over the city. How did you get started with Erico Motorsports almost 23 years ago?
Tai Beldock: When I first met my husband, John, he was running a used motorcycle parts business in a 3,000 sq. ft. warehouse off of I-70 and Colorado Boulevard. I had spent several years working with car dealerships as an account executive, in both print and television advertising. When we got married, I quit my job and we combined my knowledge of marketing and dealerships, with John’s knowledge of motorcycles. Together we pitched and landed the largest UK-owned motorcycle manufacturer, Triumph Motorcycles, as our first franchise. We curated a vision of Exciting - Exotic - European, Erico’s tagline, and worked toward building one of the first Euro-focused dealerships in the U.S. Today, our lineup includes Triumph, Ducati, Moto Guzzi, Piaggio, and Vespa franchises and is housed in over 20,000 sq. ft. of space. John and I love the challenge of building things, and still, come to work every day excited to see what we can accomplish.
AB: You have been working for a long time to develop Octane Alley in the RINO arts district. How did this project come together and what is the inspiration behind this development?
TB: In 1999, Erico was bursting at the seams and needed room to grow, so we went in search of a place to move. Back then there was no such place as RiNo, in fact, the area was known as the Ballpark District. At the time, when we bought our building, there were still railroad tracks running down Walnut Street and the only restaurant was the Butcher Block Cafe. We moved in because it was cool, it was big, and it was all we could afford. Over time, our neighbors, who were mostly industrial users, either moved or sold their buildings. We were fortunate enough to buy some of the properties surrounding us, and, 25 years later, we faced the same dilemma, stay or sell. We love what we do and we have chosen to stay. This choice was a bit problematic because we are motorcycle people, not developers. It has taken us a bit longer than seasoned developers to figure out exactly how to approach the project.
We knew we wanted to keep the buildings intact, and to find users that would compliment Erico and the RiNo vibe. The name Octane Alley was our homage to motorcycling, and we were lucky enough to secure Revzilla, a national motorcycle parts and apparel retailer, as an anchor tenant. In addition to Stem Ciders, in the Spring of 2022, we will welcome two new restaurants into the mix, Via 313 Pizza and Crack Shack. We are proud that we were able to keep the integrity of the neighborhood and create a vibrant place for people to eat, drink, and shop.
AB: How did Embassy London shoes come into your life and what inspired you to open a store here in Denver?
TB: Ha! Embassy London was born out of my bad shopping habit. Several years ago, while attending a Triumph dealer conference, I happened upon an Embassy London shoe store and it became my obsession. Every year after that, when we went to London for business, I would always bring home several pairs of my favorite shoes. However, when the pandemic hit, I was unable to go to London, so I started buying them online and paying to have them shipped to the U.S. (of course I didn’t tell my husband that). At the end of the year, I received an email thanking me for being such a good customer. That email prompted me to email them back and ask why my favorite shoes weren’t available stateside. Their response was, “We don’t know, why don’t you be our U.S. Distributor?”. I approached becoming a shoe distributor the same way I approached developing a city block. I reached out to people who had done it before, I spent time on Zoom calls with London to learn the business, and I recruited a small team of smart women to help me get the job done here.
The Operations Director for Embassy USA is Bess Scully. Bess is a seasoned data analyst, now turned Shopify expert. She was integral in helping get the U.S. website up and running. I also felt that because the brand was unknown to U.S. consumers, it would be important to create a brick-and-mortar presence alongside the website. I wanted a place where people could not only see the quality but also try on the shoes for comfort and fit. For me, the decision to open the boutique in RiNo was easy because it’s where my office is located and it’s the neighborhood that I love and helped build. I was also lucky enough to hire Maya Beasley to manage the boutique. Maya comes from a graphic design background and not only manages our retail operation but also is an integral part of our social media content creation.
AB: What do you love most about Embassy London shoes- what makes the styles so unique and exciting?
TB: First and foremost, they are comfortable. I can wear the heels all day and my feet don’t hurt. Embassy London shoes are handcrafted in beautiful Italian leather, coupled with suede and patent leather accents. The owner of our parent company, Tomas Savicius, designs all the shoes. His attention to detail, coupled with his love of color, makes our shoes wearable art. We offer shoes in the classic colors of black, deep brown, and rich navy. However, it’s our distinct patterns and color combinations that make our shoes so special. I found that by wearing my Embassy Londons with a pair of jeans, my look was immediately elevated. I noticed that everywhere I went, people would ask “where did you get those shoes?”. The company tagline is very fitting, “Step Out of Line”. In fact, I made it into a neon sign and hung it in the boutique. I want to remind our customers that it's okay to take risks with their fashion choices, we encourage it!
AB: The Holiday season is upon us and that means it’s time to dress up and celebrate! What shoe styles are you most excited about this season, and how do you plan on styling them up?
TB: Sequins are everywhere this holiday season. Because of COVID, I think we are all tired of being in sweatpants, and it’s time for a little something extra. I recommend pairing a sequin mini dress with our Black and Gold Drop Hatter Ankle boots. Or if it’s an after-work cocktail hour, our Roulette Snakeskin heels with textured tights and a leather pencil skirt are a very sexy, festive combination. For our gentlemen customers, the Orlando Brogue with black flower accents is the perfect complement to your holiday look.
AB: Tai, thank you so much for sharing your story and bringing Embassy London Footwear to Denver! I cannot wait to stop by and check out the beautifully designed and crafted styles- just in time for party season!