Musette Caffe celebrates 1st anniversary

The cycling-friendly Musette Caffe will celebrate its first anniversary by organizing a group ride at 4 p.m. through Stanley Park in Vancouver. Cyclists will ride three laps of the park  before returning to the cafe for a party. All proceeds from the event will benefit GearUp4CF, dedicated to raising awareness for cystic fibrosis.

“For our one year anniversary I thought it would be great to give back,” Musette Caffe owner Thomas Eleizegui told Canadian Cycling Magazine. “So, I will sell all my coffee drinks by donation only and everything will go to GearUP4CF, to raise money for cystic fibrosis. All the money that is raised that evening will be for the charity. It feels great when we can help out.”

For those interested in joining the ride, Musette Caffe is located at Drake St. and Hornby St. in the back lane beside Jim Pattison Toyota in Vancouver. If it’s raining the ride will be cancelled and Musette Caffe will show old school racing videos and and offer beer and wine starting at 5:30 p.m.

As for the future at Musette Caffe, Eleizegui is coming up with ways that he can use the cafe to help give back to the sport by developing competitive cycling in Vancouver and educating youth about the dos and don’ts of bike racing. “I’m really happy with how the community supported me, especially being in a back alley and with not much cash flow to start off.”

The lease for the Musette Caffe space expires in two years at which time Eleizegui will look for a new location to set up shop in the Vancouver area. “My dream is to expand and I’d love to have indoor secured parking for bikes, lockers and showers. The city is doing a great job in building cycling infrastructure but these two elements are still missing. There are many businesses that don’t provide this, that’s my goal in two years.”