"Canberra News, Views and Opinion"
Here’s something new: a bike-path side café.
I was feeling a little lost as my daughter was off on camp, so I went for a ride, and came upon this little bit of free enterprise on the bike-path between MacArthur Avenue and David Street in O’Connor. And yes, it’s all properly approved by the Authoritahs.
The very chatty Patrick made me a very good flat white and forced half a very good brownie upon me, ignoring my talk of health and fitness.
The Sly Fox, as it’s known, makes coffee for all between 7.30am and 11.30. You can sit there on a milk crate, or take it away.
A really nice idea, I think, and the sort of thing that we need more of in Canberra.
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Hehe… You ate the brownie.
Awesome idea! Might get more customers on the west LBG basin lake loop though, where there would be more rec cyclists/walkers/joggers etc (with time to spare) and less commuters (who are busy heading to/from work)?
Conan of Cooma said :
Is that better than choking the chicken?
Back on the cafe thing, there should be more of it!
great idea!!!
What a top idea I like it
Love the initiative! Hope it goes well for him.
Just to clarify, the hours quoted are for weekdays. I didn’t ask about whether he operates at weekends.
Perhaps someone could ask Patrick and post.
dpm said :
Perhaps he’s choosing to work within his abilities. Too much custom can as damaging as too little, if he were overwhelmed by it. The business would fail either way
Stevian said :
Good point! (I was probably being a bit biased in suggesting a location that I am more likely to ride past, in lieu of uber-hip O’Connor—a location that I am not worthy of)!
Awesomeness. What a capital idea.
I ride past this every day and I’m not quite sure where the customers come from – maybe some dog walkers and parents returning after dropping their kids off? Or some early morning walkers (although this bike path is very busy with commuters and students, so its not really a good place to walk). Certainly cyclists arent stopping, my cup holder would runneth over
Still, good luck to him
I think it sucks. The last thing we need on bike paths is another distraction as we pedal our pedestrian-killing machines willy-nilly down the loways and byways of this fair city. Can you imagine the compo claims that will stem from an incident where a princess, riding her pink basket-endowed special from Bikes’r'Us, stops for a wake up half soy latte extra hot please, and in doing so causes the lycra-clad alpha male on his $15,000 carbon fibre willy replacement to crash heavily because he expected unimpeded passage on all loways and byways of this fair city? I call on Jeremy Hanson (Jezza to his friends) to get elected and banish these upstarts as soon as possible.
Might drop by tomorrow. All I need now is a cup holder and an ashtray for loose change.on my bike
dtc said :
Well, I stopped on my bike. If every poet in O’Connor stops, he’ll do very well indeed (-:
But while I was there a man going to work by bike had a macchiato. So commuters are stopping.
dpm said :
Nonsense! There were many dags on bikes, believe me. What is the opposite of über?
poetix said :
Unter as in untermenschen… Not quite invoking Godwin’s Law but has to be close.
As cool as the concept its, you’ve probably started the process of getting him shut down. There are a raft of laws about serving food, outdoor cafes etc. He’s been getting more and more popular though.
puggy said :
Exactly my thoughts. Which is a shame, i think its a great idea.
puggy said :
Shut down? Not likely. If a new street vending operation becomes popular the ACT Government will herald it as “iconic” and a “local institution” , then promptly arrange for subsidised premises to be provided.
puggy said :
You missed the part in the OP that says this place is allowed, because they have already been approved by authorities…
TheDancingDjinn said :
He also said that he received a New Enterprise grant, if I remember properly. And he was happy for possible publicity.
Surely it’s good for more people to know about this type of thing?
All he needs to do is move to the median strip near an intersection somewhere on Northbourne Ave, and he could do coffees AND clean windscreens as well.
TheDancingDjinn said :
Indeed I did. I’ll have to spread the word then, after I stop off and try a cup. And hey look, a Sly Fox facebook page.
I don’t understand how he managed to get approval though.
Now we need one called Drunk’n'Skunk, so I can have a pint of ale on my way home from diggin’ holes and driving trucks….
Keeping left – check. Let’s hope the coffee machine has a bell or the walls fall down. Oh – hang on …
wildturkeycanoe said :
Shot the fox, serving sneaky little vodkas would be nice for when I’ve been mining the poesie. Imagine the AHA though…
I had a chat to him, he has a hawkers license, which means he has to be like 150m from the road, which rather limits where he could set up. He isn’t on the path on weekends, but I’ve seen him at a couple of weekend events and festivals. Certainly makes good coffee, and seems like a lovely guy, I wish him well.