Bike Cafes: Good Idea or Bad?

July 11th, 2010 • Service Design

Imagine a bar, cafe and bike workshop all rolled into one. Sounds great. To my amazement, they exist! They’re called Bike Cafes and are apparently popping up all over London.

A haven for serious bike addicts who bring their machines for repairs, and commuters who simply want to use the free Wi-Fi or eat snacks and salads while watching live screenings of cycle races… The bar is stocked with microbrews from all over Europe, and hosts weekly route planning sessions and bicycle film nights

Although I love digital, I’m a huge believer in the power of physical spaces. Way before the term “social networking” came along, shopping and commerce have always been a central part of how society interacts — and it’s probably still the main driver of word-of-mouth.

On top of that, I love when retailers connect what they’re selling to something more meaningful than the product itself. I’ve mentioned before how lululemon does this.

But does 2 + 2 always equal 5? Can you combine two or more different services to create one super service? It think so, but only to a point. With bike cafes it makes sense: why wouldn’t commuters looking for a coffee on the way into work stop by a place where their bikes are welcome? And vice versa: why not get a tune up from a place where you can also hang out and connect with the biking community while you wait?

The question is, operationally, can you still be the best coffee shop/bar AND the best bike shop? Does it pay to specialize  – do one thing really really well? Or does it pay to cater to a very specific niche, hoping that you’ll build a strong community and loyalty?

[via PSFK via NYT]

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