The smell of fresh coffee, the sound of a socket wrench and bikes upon bikes as far as the eye can see–is what customers view when opening the door of Podium Finish Sport Boutique & Cafe.
Podium isn’t a typical cafe but is what some could call a one stop shop. Inside the sport boutique is an impressive bike shop with hundreds of bikes for sale, where repairs and upgrades can be made.
Ephraim Vivar, general manager of Podium Finish Sport Boutique & Cafe, shared how the business is not only a place to purchase a bike or a delicious meal, but also for different types of events.
“We are a restaurant, a coffee shop and a bike shop. We’re kind of like a venue, [and] an event center, because we have wedding announcements, birthdays, we even had a funeral last week,” Vivar said. “We also host business meetings, and we have a cross fit gym.”
Podium Finish Sport Boutique & Cafe opened in 2018 and paved the way for bike cafes in the Sun City. In 2023, La Wheela Bicycle Place located in Far East El Paso opened for business. Bike manager Javier Perez described La Wheela as a social interaction destination.
“The concept of La Wheela is having a place where people can meet, where you can come and buy a bike, have your bike serviced through accessories, upgrades and we also offer a full menu, full bar, yoga studio, meditation studio and a dance studio,” Perez said.
The main goal of these businesses is to provide El Pasoans with a place to dine while sharing the positivity that comes with bike riding.
The original concept came from La Wheela owners, Richy Estrada and Monica Lozoya. They had the vision of motivating the community to exercise, eat good food and have a place to hang out.
For both businesses a sense of community and social gathering is at their core. Bringing people together with a love of bikes and physical activity in a unique way.
Podium and La Wheela team up monthly for a community bike ride.
“Podium and La Wheela are always together. So, we took it a step further and we decided that if we joined forces imagine the area that we’re going to cover,” Perez said. “As far as people riding their bikes and just people coming together for the rides.”
La Wheela Bicycle Place and Podium Finish Sport Boutique & Cafe are ready for all El Pasoans’ bike needs, along with providing a delicious meal, a fresh coffee or hosting any event they have in mind.
Joseph Montero is a staff reporter for The Prospector and may be reached at [email protected].
