Originally Posted by
skookum
I thought the 21st century LBS was going to be like Velo Cult in Portland. Craft beer, coffees, repairs and sales and a cool place to hang out.
Originally Posted by
prj71
Sounds hipster and I would avoid my LBS if they started serving Craft beer and Coffee. Probably a bunch of guys with man buns hanging out there.
If I want craft beer or coffee, I go to the local brewery or coffee shop. Not the bike shop.
I went to a roadie/mountain bike shop for my fitting. The shop only had 1-2 bikes and did a lot of service and fittings. They worked with a lot of custom builders on fittings. They served wine and beer with a few small snacks. They also sponsored group rides. It seemed to be working while I was there. A few people came in to grab a beer. It made the fitting experience really relaxed. A few people came in pairs to pickup their bikes - and stayed to chat. The shop was run by a middle aged guy and the patrons were middle aged.
The shop we have that serves coffee with the bike service has done a good job on the coffee part. While I am sure they get extra cyclists, it is a pretty busy cafe too. They feels almost like their number one function. They also host yoga classes, bike themed lectures and other events to help book the space. We'll see how it goes, they are about 3.5 years in at this point. They picked a slightly weird location, but it is fairly convenient and there is a lot of construction nearby that should help with foot traffic in the coming years. It is also right in front of a decently busy bus stop that helps with exposure, and it is at the nexus of 2 neighborhoods.