Free Coffee at Heritage General Store
Words and photos by Kyle Kelley
Earlier this year when I was visiting Louisville for NAHBS I met Mike Salvatore, the owner of Heritage in Chicago. I had heard of his operation through the special edition collaborations he’s done with builders like Stinner and Humble, but honestly didn’t know much else about the business. Mike filled me in a little bit on his past, what he is working towards and invited me to stop by for a visit before my flight out of Chicago.
Unfortunately, Mike was still out of town when I stopped in, but manager Derek Lewis showed me around. Mike had previously mentioned that the driving force behind Heritage is their commitment to community and Derek explained that they’ve worked to build it in a number of ways. From the beginning Heritage has focused on American made goods. It was as important to get people to invest in Heritage as it was for Heritage to invest in its neighbors. The standard Heritage models are the first Chicago-made production bicycles being manufactured in the city since Schwinn relocated in the 70s. Partnering with fabricators in the city helps them to be intimately involved in the process and build relationships that benefit their customers.
Bikes are front and center for Heritage, but thats not all they have to offer. Immediately as I entered the store I noticed it’s as much coffee shop as it is retail space. The two are intentionally woven into one. The coffee shop keeps people coming through the door on a daily basis, especially during Chicago’s less bike-friendly winter months, and lends itself to building the Heritage community beyond bicycles. While I was there quite a few regulars stopped by to pick up coffee and chat with the baristas while others sat working at the large communal table.
Beyond the coffee counter and seating area is a thoughtfully curated selection of apparel and accessories. Everything I had seen to this point was so clean and well organized it was kind of unreal. I was actually relieved to find that the service area at the back of the store resembled the mess I am familiar to seeing in a bike shop. It had the look of being used, but wasn’t without aesthetic consideration as the work bench was constructed from an old shuffleboard table. When they aren’t assembling customer orders, or tuning up bikes for their race club, I have to imagine the most popular service offered at Heritage is their fix a flat with free coffee while you wait.
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