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Road 34: Two wheels and a tavern |
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Written by Erin Frustaci
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Wednesday, 07 June 2006 |
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Click here for video
 
Fort Collins entrepreneurs Will Overbagh and Willy Owens IV own a place where spokes and pedals meet beer and grub.
The idea was simple: combine the things they like into one. And so, Road 34 was born.
 On one side sits a bike shop, where Yeti, Kona and Santa Cruz mountain bikes line the wall. A garage door divides the shop from what’s on the other side: a modern style bar.
“Our bar is an extension of our bike shop,” Overbagh said. “Biking is a lifestyle. It’s not just about when you are on a bike. There’s a lot more to it.”
The two 25-year-olds moved to Colorado from the East to be closer to the bike scene. They have known each other since they were 10 because Overbagh’s oldest sister married Owens’ uncle.
While on a road trip from Maryland to Daytona, Fla., the guys fantasized about having their own bike shop.
“We talked about what we would call it and were coming up with stupid names like Will and Willy’s,” Owens said.
Along a dark stretch in South Carolina, a bright sign was the only thing lit up and it read Road 34.
“It’s become our philosophy,” Owens said.
They opened the bike shop in Campus West three years ago.
“We always said we’d have a bar one day,” Owens said. “The opportunity to move next door fell in our laps.”
The guys decided to take a risk when relocating and opened a bar and tavern in the second side of the building.
“We figured, we can live off of PBR and Ramen,” Owens said.
The bar has been open for business now for about six weeks and started serving food three weeks ago. Overbagh runs the tavern and deli and Owens runs the bike shop.
Although it’s taken a lot of sweat, time and planning, Overbagh and Owens are proud of their finished project.
“We think our idea of a bike bar is something no one has ever done,” Overbagh said. “People will see how good an idea it is.”
What it comes down to is fun. Both Overbagh and Owens say they do what they do because they enjoy it.
“We started this thing because we appreciate people riding bikes and having a good time. It’s all about a good time,” Owens said.
VITAL STATS
Name: Will Overbagh, 25, runs the bar
Company: Road 34 Deli & Tavern
Title: Co-owner
How long have you worked there? The bike shop has been here for three years. The bar opened last month.
IN HIS WORDS
What is it about this job that makes it challenging?
Recently opening the bar. The bike shop has been established, but the bar is new territory. A lot of the principles are the same, but there are a lot of new challenges.
Makes you get out of bed in the morning?
The excitement of having a new business, something totally new. Everyday there’s something new with the bar. It’s definitely stayed fresh.
Things that impress you?
What’s been most impressive is there’s a lot of cats who have been around Road 34 for long time and support us further. Every step of the way, they’ve supported us. We’ve taken it to next level and so has everyone’s dedication to Road 34.
Things that don’t.
I don’t know. I’m not really that sour about anything. I have everything sorted out. One annoying thing is under-aged kids trying to drink at your bar. That’s something we will deal with forever.
How do young/new employees get ahead?
From my perspective, at some point you’ve got to not worry about the dough aspect, and you’ve gotta just maintain your focus on your product. You can’t get caught up with the money you make because it’s next to nothing. You’ve just got to focus on making the bar better; making it the best.
Did you ever think in a million years you’d work here?
I did. I grew up in restaurants. I’ve worked every other position in restaurant except for owner. It actually seemed pretty natural. Thought I’d try it out. From the bike shop standpoint, absolutely simply because it’s our passion. Myself, Willy, and everybody who works at the bike shop, and the majority of people who work at the bar, all share the same drive for biking. We love to do it, so it does make a lot of sense.
If you weren’t doing this, what would you do?
It’s crazy. If I wasn’t doing this I’d probably be living down in Costa Rica or in the
mountains somewhere just kind of skating by. It’s 100 percent dedication to something you love or the other way around.
What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done while at work?
We probably won’t publish that. On slow days at the bike shop, its not beyond us to kick down a couple of 12 packs and race our bikes around the shop. We don’t do that anymore.
Smartest?
When the brilliant idea of opening a bike bar came to me.
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever done to make money?
It’s shit no one else has done. I used to be a professional mechanic on a sports car racing team, which was pretty cool. That’s what I grew up doing.
Any interesting anecdotes?
Willy and I are the same way, but people don’t understand it when we tell them we do it for the fun of it. They think, ‘Well you gotta make money some how. It’s business man.’ But that’s just not true. I’m doing this for the fun of it. Willy is the same way. We’ve put thousands of unpaid hours into this because we love it. It’s a lot of fun. Running a bike shop is fun. Running a bar is fun. We ‘re not driven like other owners. I’m not saying they are bad, it’s just not our credo. We’ve made our bike shop successful based on that. We always cycle our money back into the bike shop.
What’s the one thing you wish you could do on the job that you can’t right now?
We do pretty much everything we want to do. I mean now we party with everyone else who’s drinking so we don’t even need to drink on the job. I don’t really have a good answer for that. I enjoy everything.
What do you do during your breaks?
Ride bikes. Go boating in the summer, skiing in the winter, but all the time riding bikes.
What’s one thing about your job you would do, even if you weren’t paid to do it?
Christ, that would have to be everything.
Name one thing in your life that really prepared you for your job.
I’ve worked in literally every aspect of restaurants: everything from bartender to manager to busboy. I’ve done everything, so my experience with that. Also, my general experience with people in so may environments — it’s prepared me for literally everything.
What’s the biggest payoff in your job?
Seeing the finished product, seeing people enjoy our food, drinks and atmosphere we built. Seeing people’s confidence in us to buy a bike from us. Seeing them after their second or third ride, and they are ecstatic about the bike they bought. That happens all the time with almost every bike we sell.
Are you the boss? Do you think you should be?
Yes, I make the decisions around here. I run the joint.
What do you do when you’re not at work?
Cool out. I ride bikes first and foremost. When the sun is not up for that, I’d probably be found out drinking beers somewhere or at home cooling out, drinking a couple of glasses of wine with my girlfriend. One of the two.
Pets?
No. We have fish, but they don’t really count.
Family?
My sister is my kitchen manager. My family is spread all over the U.S.
Favorite TV shows.
Sports. I watch auto races. I like ice hockey. The Simpsons of course.
Movies.
“Animal House,” “Caddyshack” and “Braveheart.”
Books.
“Atlas Shrugged.” Anybody who has read it will understand.
What Web sites do you have bookmarked?
Road34.com, efirstbank.com, Mtvr.com.
Where do you play?
In the mountains. On the beach whenever I can get there. It’s kind of a long ways away. In my backyard. My backyard has a lot of dirt jumps.
Go out to eat?
The Rio, Jeju, Hot Wok for lunch.
Favorite spot?
On my bike. I know that’s repetitive because it’s all I do, but it doesn’t matter where it is. That’s the beauty of bikes. | Only registered users can write comments.
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