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Café Velo: A Coffee Bar by Bike Cements Roots
By Catherine Cole on August 5, 2010
In 2008, Café Velo owner Rick Wilson combined three of Portland’s favorite things: made-to-order coffee, bikes and farmers’ markets. Rick started pedaling his mobile coffee bar around town and quickly garnered a cult following due to his discerning taste in single-origin beans and his pour-over coffee method. Two years later, Café Velo not only bikes on top of the grid, they’re plugged directly into it. As of January, Rick got a business partner (Jeremy Robillard) and permanent retail location (which is super adorable) in the heart of downtown Portland.
I stopped in on a typical late Monday morning to see how they’re doing. The verdict? Not surprisingly very well.
I don’t say this often, but Café Velo is unlike any other coffee shop in town. In less than 400 square feet, this European-style walk in has the perfect coffee and lunch set up. It probably doesn’t hurt that they’re friends with Jessica Helgerson, one of Portland’s most decorated interior designers (yes, she designed the space). They feature Pearl Bakery cookies and granola; Stumptown and Heart coffee; and make fresh Mediterranean-style lunch fare. In just a few minutes I had a smooth cup of dripped-to-order coffee (after choosing which coffee roast I wanted), a chocolate-chunk cookie topped with fleur del sel; and two savory flatbread sandwich wraps filled with roasted peppers, chickpeas, diced cucumber and mint. The flavors layered together in such a harmonious way, I almost forgot about the busy street traffic and my laborious after-lunch to-do list. That is, as I say, a pretty perfect lunch break.
About the author:
Catherine Cole is a food writer currently in Portland, Oregon on her way to San Francisco. Likely just like you, she loves the internet, food, and their intersections. Find her in the kitchen, at a bar, and often online.
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Just a quick comment from Rick’s wife… Many thanks for your enthusiastic blog post. It’s so exciting to see that people really get what Velo is all about, and we’re always grateful to anyone who spreads the word. Only one quick correction: The baked goods are actually made in-house, not by Pearl. So you won’t find those exact cookies anywhere else in town. Otherwise, we honestly couldn’t have asked for a kinder review. Many thanks.
Christina (the baker)
Thanks much Christina for the clarification.