Velobahn Coffee & Cycle, the Silver City neighborhood’s new cafe and, eventually, bicycle shop recently opened in the Pedal Milwaukee Building at 3618 W. Pierce St. The cafe said it served 550 customers its opening weekend during Doors Open Milwaukee.
Owners Seth Ogden and Rick Goyette opened the business after investing over $100,000 into a two-year renovation process that included exposing the space’s original Cream City brick walls and installing a stage and a repurposed-wood coffee bar.
“Silver City is a small community but they have been wanting a cafe,”Goyette said. “Opening Velobahn has been an interesting journey along the way. When it was just a concept, we didn’t know how operating the business would work out, but now that it’s in physical form, the process is a lot less stressful.”
Goyettte and Ogden received loans and grants to fund Velobahn from Wisconsin Womens’ Business Initiative Corporation, Fund Milwaukee, Kiva Microfunds, the City of Milwaukee and Layton Boulevard West Neighbors.Â
For now, Velobahn operates mainly as a cafe, offering both Milwaukee-based Pilcrow Coffee and Anodyne Coffee products, among other coffee and espresso drinks. By next spring, the Wisconsin Bicycle Federation plans to operate a bicycle maintenance and repair service space in the shop. Â
The Wisconsin Bicycle Federation is also located in the Pedal Milwaukee Building, in the office space on the floor right above Velobahn.
Goyette said he wants to, eventually, partner with Escula Verde, the charter school just west of Velobahn, to hire students and teach them the business side of operating a cafe. He also wants to host evening events at the shop including concerts, weddings and community meetings.
“Opening this space in the evenings would be beneficial for the community and increase our revenue,” Goyette said.
