Coffee Shop Meets Bike Store Opening this Weekend in Ardmore
Laura Fay, co-founder of Separatist Beer Project, announces the grand opening of a brand-new all-in-one coffee shop and e-bike store coming to the Main Line starting this weekend.
Up to Eleven is a unique all-in-one hybrid that brings together the best of both worlds for coffee and cycling lovers. The new concept will showcase three big partners, including bagels from Kismet Bagels, coffee from Reanimator Coffee, and e-bikes by Specialized.
Doors will open this Saturday, August 21st, from 7:00am to 3:00pm, at 65 Cricket Flats. The celebration is timed to coincide with Ardmore Rock N Ride, USA Cycling Race and Ardmore Music Hall Music Fest, and it will feature e-bike demos at both the shop and at a tent next to the race.
Half off drip coffee will be offered to any customer who visits the shop and shows their bike helmet. There will also be drink specials and Specialized Turbo give-aways. A percentage of all e-bike sales during the opening week will be donated to Community Bike Works, a charity that teaches kids life lessons through bicycles.
“Up to Eleven brings together my love for coffee, biking, and creating warm and welcoming spaces used in unique ways,” said Fay. “After the success I had partnering on the opening of Separatist Beer Project, I wanted to create an all new concept that hasn’t been done before in this area. Downtown Ardmore is red hot with so many amazing openings of both restaurants and retail spaces in the last three years. While there are amazing bakeries and restaurants serving breakfast, there isn’t a true coffee shop in Downtown where you can get top-quality barista made coffee drinks, with great wi-fi, casual vibes and comfortable seating. I wanted to create a drop-in space that fits the active lifestyle and diverse population in Ardmore – appealing to everyone from students looking for a place to study, to friends looking to catch-up, to business people looking to grab a great cup of joe with their colleagues. For the bike shop, I wanted to create the kind of e-bike shop that I would feel welcome in, without the clutter, the judgement and the overwhelming options. My hope is that both worlds come together, and coffee shop goers develop an interest in our e-bike program, and our e-bike customers find a brand-new space to ride to for bagels, coffee and pastry.”
Fay is no stranger to the hospitality business. For five years she built and ran Separatist Beer Project, a brewery based out of Easton PA with tasting rooms in the Lehigh Valley as well as Philadelphia on East Passyunk Avenue. Separatist was one of many breweries that quickly grew and flourished during the latest craft beer boom. Fay co-founded the business with her ex-husband Joe Fay and oversaw the creative direction, branding and all things visual such as the labels, interior design and social media. Separatist also allowed Fay to indulge in her passion for creating spaces for the local community and passionate and creative types. About a year ago she parted from the business in order to better focus on hospitality projects of her own.
In pursuit of creating a community centered space that also incorporates a food concept (and sans beer) Fay decided her first project would be a lifestyle coffee shop. In her travels to places such as Hong Kong, Sweden, and Turkey she often found herself chilling in coffee shops that doubled as a sort of lifestyle store by offering a niche retail experience. Having been connected to a cycling community for a number of years and recently discovering the rising trend in electric bikes she decided a coffee/e-bike shop would be a great next project.
Coffee shop hours are 7:00am to 3:00pm daily, seven days a week. Hours for the e-bike shop are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, from 8:00am to 3:00pm. For more information, visit www.uptoelevenardmore.com, call 484-416-3086 and follow @uptoelevenardmore.