Heritage General Store Now Expanding to Uptown Twice

Heritage Bicycles General Store, the Lakeview bicycle store-meets-coffee shop, will open two new Uptown locations in FLATS Chicago buildings this summer and next. Called Heritage Outpost, the satellite coffee shops aim to entice bike lovers and encourage visits to the main location for the full experience.

The first expansion, set to open in August in the lobby of the historic apartment rental building at 1325 Wilson Ave., will feature a walk-up window on Wilson for commuters headed to the Red Line.

"We just finished up some design details on the space and it looks awesome," says owner Michael Salvatore.

The second expansion is planned for the summer of 2015 at 1020 W. Lawrence Ave. inside the former Lawrence House hotel, now under construction by FLATS Chicago. The café, which hopes to secure a liquor license, will overflow into the common area of the lobby, which includes a library, game room, and a DJ booth.

Salvatore hopes to have outdoor seating areas similar to that found at the original General Store at both new locations. And there might be more Heritage Outposts in the future. "I have a few things up in the air for other concepts with some really interesting and fun Chicago people, but right now we are just all feeling it out," he says.
· All Heritage Bicycles General Store Coverage [-ECHI-]
· Heritage General Store [Official Site]
—Aubre Andrus
[Photo: Foursquare]