Not even two years ago, Ryan Barber opened his brick-and-mortar bicycle shop, Kzoo Swift, on Forest Street in the Vine Neighborhood, and in that time the demand for his business has exploded. So much so that he's already outgrown his current location.
Barber's had his eye on the storefront on Westnedge, next to Retro Vintage and Antiques for some time. After the local art co-op vacated the space, he decided it was time to make the move, just around the corner from his present space. Considering Kzoo Swift's specialty, vintage bikes, the pairing is perfect.
The new space offers quadruple the showroom space, and will allow for improved workshop space, as well as more tools and parts. Right now, Barber says, if he needs a part, he has to crawl over heaps of bikes, and by the time he completes his hurdle, the part might not even be there because there's just not enough room, presently, to store it all.
To fund its expansion and move, Kzoo Swift is running a crowdfunding Indigogo campaign, with hopes that the community will inject $7,500 into the project. Perks for donating include tickets to a fundraising event at Bell's, bicycle maintenance, and a bike of your choice from the shop.
The fundraiser at Bell's, scheduled for 6 p.m. June 16, is open to all ages, and will feature live music, a magic show, face painting, pedal-powered smoothies, and a raffle.
The shop will be closed for a couple of weeks (the last week of May and the first week of June) in preparation for the move. They'll be a “soft” open in their old space after that until their Grand Opening in the new space, scheduled for the weekend of June 19.
Writer: Kathi Valleii, Second Wave Media
Source: Ryan Barber, Kzoo Swift
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