More Details on Cafe + Velo, Opening Soon on Edgewood Avenue

Local artist Jeff Demetriou and Atlanta Beltline Bicycle owner Ben Boisson are working on a Sweet Auburn bike shop/cafe, and now the duo has more details to share. The owners are currently hiring baristas, and if all permits are in on time, Cafe + Velo should make its debut the week of September 19 at 381 Edgewood Ave. SE.

• The shop will use beans from Octane Coffee for its caffeinated beverages. Baker and chef Eric Dauce will serve a menu of pastries and other baked goods, plus a selection of “crandwiches” (croissant sandwiches).
• A large patio and rooftop deck will allow for al fresco dining, and will host morning yoga and a mini croquet course.
• Design consists of vintage metal chairs, antique bikes, white oak tables, and a “Wall of All,” a photo gallery, curated by Demetriou, dedicated to famous cyclists, civil rights leaders, artists, poets, thinkers, activists, and “progressive subversives/critical thinkers of yesterday and today.”
• Commuter bike rentals will be available for $35 per day or $200 per week. Something called a “Bike Box,” a vending machine of sorts created by Demetriou and Boisson, will dispense bike parts, tools, and accessories.

Demetriou and Boisson came up with the venture as a way to satisfy their need for an affordable neighborhood establishment: “For the past few years it has seemed like almost every new place that opens up has a concept, price-point, and/or atmosphere crafted to cater to demographics and/or interests that are not reflective of the intown neighborhoods and communities to whom they serve,” Demetriou said in a prepared statement.

Hours at Cafe + Velo will be Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The owners are also working on a similar, but larger concept somewhere along the BeltLine’s Eastside trail. Demetriou couldn’t offer specifics, but he tells Eater Atlanta it will be located “on the already completed portion” of the trail.

• Coffee and Cycling Collide at Forthcoming Edgewood Avenue Cafe [EATL]