Cafe + Velo calls cyclists to Edgewood Avenue

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“It’s insane how ignored the cycling demographic is here,” says Jeff Demetriou, the native Atlantan artist and cyclist who cofounded Cafe + Velo with Atlanta Beltline Bikes owner Benjamin Boisson. “The impetus for it was really the lack of something else like this.”

Demetriou’s resume is an eclectic one. He has managed a nightclub, owned a record store, spun tunes as a DJ, worked as a graphic designer, and run a design-build company. His impressive list of mixed media gallery shows and public art installations includes a mural for the American Cancer Society Center Downtown that spans three stories and a full city block. After developing a passion for cycling during a year-and-a-half stint in Toronto, Demetriou returned to Atlanta with the intention to design and build his “own personal Shangri La.” Cafe + Velo is a near-realization of that vision. “I’d never been to an actual cycling café,” he says. “I just felt like it worked. Then I started researching and found these places are everywhere all over the world.”

Easily accessible by streetcar and MARTA, with rack space for more than 20 bikes, Cafe + Velo encourages patrons to leave their cars at home. The café’s large outdoor patio, rooftop deck, and mini croquet court create a peaceful haven for working remotely or just whiling away the day. Inside, cycling clips play on a projector in the corner and bikes hang on exposed brick walls painted white. Demetriou’s “Wall of All” features a gallery of black and white photos depicting famous cyclists alongside dozens of “progressive subversives” he admires, from MLK to Sitting Bull to Killer Mike. There are turquoise-painted bicycles with baskets available for rent ($35 per day or $200 per week) and a one-of-a-kind “Bike Box” vending machine packed with spare parts for quick repairs. Demetriou and Boisson hope to franchise the Bike Box concept at other cycling-friendly locations around the city.                

The menu is short, sweet and French, mainly because co-owner Boisson is originally from France (side note: velo means bike in French). Octane coffee and loose leaf herbal teas pair with the café’s signature “crandwiches” – sandwiches made on succulent house-made croissants and named after bicycle brands and types. Variations include the Pinarello with homemade chicken salad and spinach; the Colnago with goat cheese, cranberries, cucumber, and walnuts; and the Penny Farthing with egg, bacon, and gooey cheddar.

Baker in residence Eric Dauce brings an authentic French touch to the operation. A native of La Baule, a seaside town on France’s west coast, he spends his days at Cafe + Velo baking fresh croissants in-house along with a selection of quiches, muffins, pastries, gluten-free macarons, and cookies.

Demetriou expects more bike-friendly cafés to pop up as Atlanta’s cycling scene grows stronger. “It’s very similar to when we were doing modern houses in the early 2000s,” he says, harkening back to his architectural design-build days. “People said nobody builds modern because nobody buys them. But that’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. It’s the same thing with bike culture in Atlanta. If you build it, they will come.”

Cafe + Velo. 381 Edgewood Ave. S.E. 404-458-2979. www.cafeandvelo.com