Imagine a place where you can eat a prime cut of beef and fresh beets farmed nearby, sip on the latest up-and-coming craft beer and experiment with exotic cocktails. Oh, and if you happen to need new wheels for your bike or a whole new rig for that matter, that’s out back on the patio. Pedaler’s Fork offers all that under one roof. The Calabasas business combines a full restaurant serving farm-to-table food and a fully stocked bar – with a bike shop that does repairs and sells titanium bikes that could set you back $10,000 or more. And, in case you missed it, a fork not only describes a utensil but the component of the bicycle that controls the front wheel. Businesses like Pedaler’s Fork are springing up around the nation as cycling rides its latest wave of popularity and hardcore enthusiasts experiment with hangouts aimed at the cycling community. Co-founder Robbie Schaeffer, 33, is an avid cyclist, riding more than 75 miles a week on any of his five different titanium bikes. His focus at Pedaler’s is to create a place where bikers can enjoy the sport and bring their families. “More than anything, we want to create a destination. This is all our passions under one roof,” said Schaeffer, whose longtime friend Tim Rettele is the other founder. Cyclists have long gathered at Starbucks after a group ride, but more recently, hybrid concepts that make a larger effort to attract the cycling community have gained popularity, such as Tougo Coffee in Seattle or Black Bike Café in Portland. Elsewhere in Los Angeles, cyclists congregate at locations like the Rock Store, an Agoura Hills spot more known for the motorcycle crowd, or Intelligentsia Coffee in Venice. But Pedaler’s Fork may well be unique with its juxtaposition of a farm-to-table high end restaurant with a full bike shop. And while the Westside may seem a more likely location for such a business, in fact Calabasas and the Conejo Valley are popular with bicyclists. And those communities have lots of money. The business has a prime location on Calabasas Road across the street from the perennially popular Sagebrush Cantina. However, its success is hardly a sure thing. Kent Koral, president of Conejo Valley Cyclists, which has more than 400 members, said he thinks Pedaler’s Fork may draw some riders, but a bike shop won’t guarantee its success. “This will appeal to some people and not others,” he said. The gears Schaeffer and Rettele have strong foundations in the business community. Schaeffer’s father, George, founded nail polish manufacturing giant OPI Products Inc. of North Hollywood, before he sold it to Coty Inc. of New York in 2010. He remains the company’s chief executive. And Rettele’s family owns 10 Speed Coffee, an artisan roaster, retailer and distributor in Hood River, Ore. Pedaler’s will roast on site and serve exclusively 10 Speed Coffee. With backing like that, the two were able to personally finance the new restaurant, which is clearly a passion project, with its distressed wood floors, plush patio chairs and classic bikes hung from the walls. The duo, who won’t disclose their investment, even signed a 20-year lease. Pedaler’s Fork is carrying expensive bicycling components, such as ENVA carbon wheel sets. In addition, the bike shop will sell several full-line bicycles by Moots Cycles. The small Steamboat Springs, Colo. company makes titanium bicycles that can cost less than $5,000, but Schaeffer said his shop will carry more of the high-end line, with price points starting around $10,000. What’s more, Pedaler’s has a full-time mechanic on staff to round out a more than 75 person employee list. “There’s a huge cycling community here,” Schaeffer said. The food and beverage part of the business is being handled by Rettele, 35, who is a veteran of the food industry. He’s spent about 15 years in the business, with previous managerial positions at Saddle Ranch Chop House on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood and Katsuya sushi restaurant. In creating the menu at Pedaler’s, he reached out to a number of local farms, including McGrath Family Farm, a certified organic fruits and vegetables supplier in Camarillo. The cost for utilizing locally sourced products, all natural and free of trans fats is high, but Rettele said the price point will be about $15 for breakfast and lunch entrees and less than $30 for most dinner entrees because of his shorter supply path and proper portioning. “We’re cutting out the middle man completely,” he said. “We are going straight to the farms and we will also give people a proper portion. Not a small one, but the right size.” He said the restaurant employs a purchasing manager who will drive a van from farm-to-farm to pick up supplies on a daily basis. As for beverage offerings, Pedaler’s covers the gambit. There is a large espresso machine in the back area, where a barista will serve coffee, lattes and cappuccinos made with 10 Speed Coffee. In addition, there are more than 30 beers on tap, leaning heavily toward the craft market, with beers from local breweries such as LadyFace Ale Companie – Alehouse & Brasserie of Agoura Hills and Stone Brewing Co. of Escondido. Piecing it together Conrad Lyon, senior restaurant analyst at L.A. boutique investment bank B. Riley & Co., said Pedaler’s Fork could struggle with identity. Lyon said the different aspects of the business should provide for a strong honeymoon phase, in which customers from across the Ventura County, the San Fernando Valley and even over the hill will be drawn to its unique concept. However, he said there is a fine line between authentic and gimmicky and he thinks Pedaler’s Fork may be riding it. “It’s going to be huge for them to not seem like they’re just jumping on trends,” he said. And Darren Tristano, executive vice president at Chicago food industry research firm Technomic Inc., said that while a concept such as Pedaler’s Fork can attract a lot of different clientele – from lycra-clad cyclists to the wealthy local residents – the restaurant fights a golden rule in food service. “In the food industry, if you try and satisfy everybody, you end up satisfying nobody,” he said. “It’s a very risky venture.” The space is partitioned to direct the cyclists, coffee drinkers and eaters their separate ways, but Rettele acknowledges the risks openly. He also abhors the notion of his business being a gimmick, and instead believes Pedaler’s Fork is part of a greater revolution in the food industry. “The first person in the line always gets the bloodiest,” he said. “We’re going to get bumps and bruises, of course, but we’re going to stay true to ourselves.”
Restaurant Puts New Spin on Bike Shop
