Operating Cyclismo Cafe is Not For the Faint of Heart.

The median lifespan of a restaurant is 4.5 years.  It is definitely not for the faint of heart, or the silent investor.  Restaurants operate on a pretty small profit margin.  Business dynamics and needs change on the fly and you need to be open and willing to nurture the needs of your business.  If you think the business will be run to your needs, that’s the first and maybe critical mistake.

Cyclismo Cafe was opened as a space to create community, serve a great coffee, and make a connection. We love to host our own events and small business pop up. Collaboration is fulfilling to me and I love opening up my space and being awed at what the new young up and coming entrepreneurs are up to.

I have been operating Cyclismo for 5 years.  I love sharing my space and stories with customers, and hearing theirs.  This area is blessed with such diverse and gifted people.  The location breeds creativity and I am humbled everyday to hear the latest from those who I cross paths with.  

Cyclismo Cafe

Ciclismo means cycling in both Italian and Spanish. I decided to name it Cyclismo as an ode to my latin heritage as well as my experience as an expat in Sweden. I spent 5 years in a town called Malmö, in southern Sweden. After marrying my husband who is a Danish national, I moved from California to Sweden. He was home for 3 days then needed to go back to work. In the meanwhile I needed to explore and immerse myself in my new home. Not knowing Swedish, I was too frightened to take the bus or train. If I was headed in the wrong direction, how would I even know? How would I get back? How would I operate the SMS ticket system that the transit system used. Mobile and SMS payments were the norm in Europe before we even knew how to say ApplePay. So I spent my time riding a bike to learn the city. I still got lost, but it was not as overwhelming since I could just turn around and go back the way I came. During those rides, I wasn’t the expat who didn’t belong, I was one of the other hundreds of Swedes commuting and going about their day by bike. It felt good to feel the commonality with others, even if it was only by proximity.

My expat experience is what bred the idea of Cyclismo. Coffee, Community, and a space where we all all belong.