Convenience in the heart of the Springs

Downtown employees who need aspirin for a pounding head or a Red Bull for a weary body can now buy such items in the heart of downtown.

Athan's Downtown Market opened recently at 32 E. Bijou St., formerly home to a flower shop. The tiny convenience store sells snacks, drinks, cigars and cigarettes, over-the-counter medicines, envelopes and other items.

Owner Athan Loukakis also owns State of Mind and Zzing, two shops a few doors from Athan's in the 100 block of East Bijou.

As a downtown business owner, he said, he saw the need for a store such as Athan's.

"I saw that if I ran out of smokes, there's no place to go," Loukakis said. "If I need any paper towel, toilet paper, just some basic needs, or munchies, some snacks, there's no place to go downtown. So I thought we could fulfill a need downtown by carrying all those items."

There's only so much the 325-square-foot store can handle, but Loukakis does have plans for the future, including adding shipping services.

"Also," he said, "we're going to start doing lunch. Which translates to Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's, but I call it lunch."

Athan's is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Other downtown comings and goings include: 

• Title Nine, a women's sportswear shop, has opened at 210 N. Tejon St., next to Terra Verde. California-based Title Nine also has stores in Denver and Boulder. Hours for the Springs store are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. 

• Drama, a clothing and accessories boutique, opened last month at 107 N. Tejon St. "We're an upscale, casual store," said owner Kelly Phelan. "We have jeans, dresses, a lot of things." Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

• Chico's at 115 N. Tejon St., part of a chain of women's clothing and accessories stores, is closing near the end of April. Chico's has been downtown since 2000. Colorado Springs' other Chico's, at The Promenade Shops at Briargate, will stay open.