For founder Mike Salvatore, Heritage Bicycles isn't just a bike or coffee shop—it's a lifestyle. Heritage Bicycles General Store, which opened its doors is 2012, was designed with the mission of furthering the concept and culture of bikes and coffee. In the last three years, the concept has spread to an Outpost coffee shop in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood, and the team has as a number of other exciting collaborations and projects in the works as well.
"The idea started in New York on our stoop. We [Salvatore and his wife, Melissa] wanted to create a space that was very open for our friends to come hang out," said Salvatore. While in New York, a group of Salvatore's friends started building bikes in their co-op's basement, and he began helping out. Because they couldn't afford retail space, they set up shop at various places markets, festivals, and shows around the city—places where food and drink were prevalent. Salvatore realized that this sort of environment—one that combines a service with food and drink—makes for an ideal retail experience. Heritage was built with this in mind.
"Our culture, our brand, is based on the community and the support of our community," said Salvatore. When you walk into Heritage—or, on a nice day, when you walk by the patio—you immediately see this vision come to life. Their minimal, clean, and nostalgic design joins forces with the shared community tables. Whether someone comes in for a quick flat tire fix or to have a cup of coffee and answer some emails, its hard to leave Heritage without sharing a conversation.
While Heritage's first commitment is the customer's experience, Salvatore is also proud of their emphasis on eco-friendly transportation and supporting local manufacturing. In fact, Heritage is the first completely Chicago-made bike since Schwinn production left the city in the 1970s. It's easy to see the care and craftsmanship that goes into one of Heritage's stunning bicycles—a design that can take on Chicago's streets with both beauty and strength.
Heritage is one of those rare places where you find yourself stopping by for one purpose—maybe grabbing a cup of coffee and sitting on their patio on a Sunday afternoon—and wind up leaving with a new Brooks saddle for your bike. No matter what, it's somewhere where you'll learn something, if not from on the staff members then from the person sitting next to you at your table.
