We have some very exciting news to share with you!
【Bia Hub News】
Almost two years to the day, and we’re getting bigger and better! The Cafe inside the Hub has been so well supported that it needs to grow! So, we’re taking out a couple of walls, and opening up The Hub space a little more, so that things flow better, and that we can better serve you, our valued customers!‘
We’ve learnt a lot over the last two years, and then all that the effects of the pandemic – good and bad – have made us rethink our planning slightly. We have a beautiful old building that has so much potential, and we need to maximise that.
We want The Bia Hub to be a welcoming, friendly and buzzing place that serves everyone in the best way possible, and we believe the layout changes will do just that” We expect the works to take a good few weeks, so please bear with us as we get through this process.
But that’s not all!
The Hub Cafe has a new partner to make the dream work
Many of you will be familiar with the legend that is Lee Goodwin and Velolife, a cafe so famous that it once had an injunction against it for being too popular.
Lee worked in the hospitality industry for most of his life but always wanted to do something independently. Finally, when he had his first daughter, he decided it’d be a great time to get out of the hospitality industry and take the plunge. At first, he worked in bicycle retail with the intention of learning all about how the industry worked. He then opened a bicycle workshop in Ladd’s garden village before the right premises became available to combine his love of coffee and bikes.
This is how Velolife Cafe in Warren Road came to be.
They thought it’d work really well and it has! If you’ve ever visited, you will know and can vouch for their mouth-watering cakes and tasty treats, renowned for their fresh-baked goodness
Lee had been looking for another venue for the past couple of years. In Lee’s words:
“It was incredibly important that the space be right. It had to be independent with character. The location had to work! After looking at a multitude of venues over the years, a chat over coffee at The Bia Hub with friends Jenni & Tanya turned into a plan that makes perfect sense!”
“When we signed the lease for The Bia Hub the week before lockdown in 2020, we weren’t to know what was to come! Our business plan was there, but it didn’t factor into account a pandemic!” comments Jenni Green, owner and founder of Bia and The Bia Hub.
“We managed to open the Cafe a couple of months into opening, once we could get an engineer in during lockdown. It has taken time to grow it into what it is, a vibey, friendly community Hub for everyone. But in order for it to grow, it needs to move to a different, more visible place in the building with a workflow designed for volume and efficiency. This is the partnership and expertise we are excited to have in Lee and his team.”
Focusing on what we love!
This partnership allows us to focus on our core business: bicycles, getting more people riding, and particularly supporting women to get out riding and be more confident being on their bikes. The retail, workshop, club and Escapes side of the business is where our expertise lies, and the proven force that is Velolife will support that level of expertise on the cafe side of the business.
At this stage the renovations, as you’ve most likely seen, are well underway. We will try to remain open throughout and thank you for your support and understanding during this time. We’re pretty sure you’ll love the outcome!
We will keep you updated so do follow closely while we journey through these next few weeks and we’ll let you know once we’re ready to announce the new cafe!