By Deb Risden
Bridget Edgell and Spring Gould, owners of Mountain View Café & Catering, discovered earlier this year that the Black Forest Post Office was closing. They sprang into action to save the local resource and became the official owners on Feb. 1, renaming it Forest View Post & Gifts.
“We found out about the post office closing at the last minute, and we knew we couldn’t let that happen,” Edgell said. “It’s a staple in our community.”
The Black Forest Post Office is a contract facility; the Briargate location serves as the home post office. “If someone didn’t take over the contract, it would have shut down. The owners told us we would never have been able to have another one in that space,” Gould said.
The business partners have completed the application process to obtain government approval, which could take a few months. Meanwhile, they have kept the doors open and operations running. “We’ve spent a lot of time working with the old owners to ensure a smooth transition,” Gould said.
She said their teammates at the new store are well-qualified. One team member who works at the post office will be staying on, and another who left earlier is returning.
Edgell and Gould stressed the importance of the team, attributing their restaurant’s success to their entire crew. They purchased Mountain View Café & Catering in 2022, and it has been growing ever since. Gould said most of the original café team has been with them for the past four years, and others have joined the team. Their philosophy is that if their team is appreciated and supported, team members will treat guests the same way. “We work as a team, and we are like a family,” Edgell said. “It’s important we care for them.”
Edgell and Gould have been best friends since attending high school in a small town in Maine. Edgell was the first to move to Colorado in 2003 to help a cousin with her children while the cousin’s husband was deployed to Iraq. Gould followed about a year later. She worked at a corporate restaurant company as a traveling trainer/server and eventually became general manager. Edgell also worked at a restaurant for many years before taking a break from business to care for her children.
Forest View Post & Gifts will continue to provide a full range of postal services, including mailing packages and letters, selling stamps, packaging, copying, printing and faxing. They do not issue passports or process new accounts.
The new owners are expanding the products available in the store. “We want to make it more of a gift shop along with the postal services,” Edgell said. “It will be a cute shop where we have fresh flowers for people to make their own bouquets, lots of gifts, toys for kids, candles, dips, olive oils, candies and lots more.”
Gould said they are focusing on securing local (Colorado and Black Forest) sources for products carried in the store.
Forest View Post & Gifts is located on Black Forest Road, across from the café. It is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mail is picked up twice a day by a staff member from the Briargate Post Office, typically around 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Gould and Edgell are excited about the new business venture and the opportunity to further serve the community. “We are so grateful for our team and community,” Gould said. “The community support has been incredible.”
Dunkin’ coming soon
According to the public relations group (Alliance Marketing Partners) for Dunkin,’ the store is opening early in the third quarter of 2026 at 8090 Meridian Road in the Bent Grass Market View center.
