It was almost 6 months ago that Klaas, Ian, Tim and Sibo joined Luke to share in his ongoing adventure to change the world one fixed bike at a time. The new ownership model has settled well into a really productive and creative rhythm and the business is humming along nicely with each of us finding our place and role in this great little enterprise. So what do we do? Just as we are beginning to settle into our new day-to-day vibe, we decide to shake it all up again by moving!! Insane!, you may shout – but there is method to this madness. Let me explain… As much as 295 Long street has served Rook well over the years, we had started to outgrow this space. The little gem tucked in between the Dim Sum shop and the trendy barber was just too small! We also couldn’t help noticing the increasing energy and vibe starting to build in Bree street. This, and along with the fact that our lease was about to expire, got us thinking about new digs and we started to look at other options. Now, the pandemic has not been kind to retailers in the City, and sadly many small businesses have not been able to weather the storm. But, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining - and in this case that silver lining was 173 Bree Street becoming vacant! Located on the corner of Pepper Street, the building is opposite a vibrant cycling hub housing our friends, Revolution Cycles, the Absa Cape Epic, Wines2Whales, Rapid Sports, etc. We wasted no time in signing up! The beautiful, three level Victorian space was ours!
Pang, our favourite barista and Rook ambassador, then floated the idea of bringing specialty coffee into the mix of the new store. With this in mind, we started designing and planning the new space. Luke wove his creative genius and put together some sick signage and livery for the shop, carefully walking the balance between maintaining our unique identity, and creating a fresh new look and feel for the new store. Pang was our vanguard, moving the coffee shop elements into the new shop. The rest of the shop followed a few weeks later, and, after a seriously intense long-weekend of moving at the end of February, the new store fully opened its doors on 1st March 2021! This corresponded with the arrival of a fresh container of new bikes and stock, creating a very special moment in the history of Rook Cycles. We sealed the deal with a celebratory Thursday Night Ride on 4 March 2021 – one of our best attended yet! We could not be happier – this is a great space for us and our fabulous community to hang out, chill, and sort all our biking needs. It’s our new home! So please, pull in for a chat and a coffee and check out the bling on offer!
0 comments