A business move is set to happen in the next month in Cortez, when the Dolores-based Fun Center moves into the space that has been occupied by Shooters’ World.
The move comes as Shooters’ World looks to downsize, and the Fun Center is seeking a more visible location.
“We’re expecting it to be busier, is our hope,” said Jon Muller, the Fun Center’s manager. “Being closer to Cortez, it’ll be a little bit more convenient for people to swing by on their lunch break or come by after work – not have to make a special trip to Dolores to pick up something.”
Both businesses plan to reopen in their new spots at the end of April or early May. The Fun Center is a motorsports store with a site in Durango in addition to Montezuma County. Shooters’ World is a gun shop.
Shooters’ World has been operating off U.S. Highway 160, just west of Cliffrose Garden Center and Gifts. The business is moving to 1740 E. Main St., next to Tequila’s Mexican Restaurant.
According to owner Shandra Minor, they are moving to the smaller site as a way to cut costs.
“Unfortunately, sales in the industry are down just a little, and the overhead in that big building was just getting to be a little much,” Minor said. “We wanted to continue to stay in Cortez business. So we decided that selling and downsizing would probably be a better option for us right now.”
The business announced the move on their Facebook page on March 2, a day after the sale was finalized, according to the post.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives approved the move on Feb. 28, the post also stated.
“We’re excited about it,” Minor told the Journal. “We’re looking forward to it, I think it’s going to be a good change for us, something a little new.”
According to Reuters News Service, citing data released by the National Shooting Sports Foundation in January, gun sales were down 6.1 percent in 2018, decreasing from 14 million in 2017 to 13.1 million last year. The decline has been called a “Trump Slump,” attributed to decreasing fears of gun control laws.
The Dolores Fun Center, which sells and maintains ATVs, snowmobiles and motorcycles, has been looking to shift spots over the past few months, according to Muller. The majority of their customers come from Cortez, he said.
“We’re looking for a little bit better location,” Muller said. “Dolores is not on the main thoroughfare, so to speak.”
They hope the move will keep business local, with customers staying in Cortez instead of traveling to the Fun Center in Durango, he added.
The moving process will start in the upcoming week, Muller said. They plan on redoing the building somewhat to match their business.
“We are going to try to make it more of a storefront and less of a warehouse-looking building, like where we’re at now,” he said.
A grand opening is expected to happen at some point after the Fun Center opens in Cortez.
ealvero@the-journal.com