Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/400168
apparel, accessories and surf-related gifts that also has a high-end coffee bar inside its doors. This concept opened its first store in 2009 and followed that up with three additional stores — one in New York City's West Village and two in Japan. "It feels like a Saturdays when you can come in and have a coffee, relax and not feel pressure or the anxiety you feel when you go to a place that feels too 'cool,' where you're not part of the cul- ture or crew," said Saturdays co-owner Josh Rosen. "The coffee cuts through that. Everyone drinks coffee." Saturdays is looking at opening more stores, and Rosen points to Mi- ami's Design District, Downtown Los Angeles and parts of Paris and Lon- don as good places to do that. "We re- ally want to be in fashion markets, not beach-driven markets," he said. "We represent New York City's vision of what a surf shop would be: The whole aesthetic caters to more of an urban surfer who is intelligent and works in the art world or marketing." The coffee bar is so important to his business that Rosen says he may pass on even a good location if zoning restrictions forbid the serving of beverages. Sky Boyer is similarly stubborn about beverages. Boyer owns Velo Cult, a 10,000-square-foot bicycle shop in the Hollywood District of Portland, Ore., that also contains a coffee shop, a beer bar and a performance space. Velo Cult opened in 2012 after Boyer relocated to Portland from San Diego. Over the years, he had worked at several bike shops and says he felt there was a sterile sameness to all of them. So Boyer started refurbishing vintage bikes in his garage and selling them over the Internet. He soon ran out of space in his garage and opened a 900-square-foot workshop. The workshop soon became a bike store that got so busy Boyer shut down his e-commerce business because he no longer had the time to run it. Before relocating and opening the large space in Portland, Boyer pon- dered what had made his venture so popular in San Diego. "My best answer to that was, it was a man cave," he said. To re-create that experience in a much larger shell, Boyer decided to sell coffee and beer and to play host to live music, film viewings, weddings, fundraisers and the like. It is not uncommon for events to take place six nights a week at Velo Cult. "We're still a bike shop, but it's definitely more of a bar atmosphere after 6 p.m.," Boyer said. "People come here for events, fundraising, nightlife, beer and coffee, and it gives them a rea- son to support you." SCT 20 S C T / N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 4 r e T a i l i n g T o d a y