It has been important to the work and vision of Raza Properties to both know and support local shops and businesses in the neighborhoods where we are developing.  So recently CEO, Rahil Raza, made time to connect with Izzat Rahman, the owner and operator of Kayuh Bicycles & Café located at 1900 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19130.

What Raza found was worth sharing so we are here to showcase their great work.

Kayuh Bicycles proudly launched on June 2, 2012 and has been in business for almost 5 years now.  Izzat shared that the cafe portion of the business was creatively introduced in late 2015 to help sustain the bike business during the slow winter months. Izzat Rahman, is a graduate of Temple’s Fox School of Business with a degree in Entrepreneurship and decided to write a business plan about the concept for his senior business thesis class. The business model follows the 3P philosophy: product, place, & planet.

As a destination for quality and reasonably priced services and products, Kayuh has gradually become an anchor in Francisville as the unique business place that has two different offerings: bicycle products and food!

“By spending more time on bicycles with friends and families, we are leading a healthier lifestyle and doing our bit for the planet by cutting down on our carbon footprint.”

Kayuh Bicycles & Cafe is a community oriented business that offers bicycle repairs, accessories, and spare parts as well as food and drinks. “Our mission is to offer quality service, reasonable prices, and create a platform where the surrounding community can learn, socialize and equip themselves with basic bike skills.” Rahman explains that community events include, “group rides every Sunday from our Cafe, guest speaker series where individuals come in and talk about specific topics (bike or non-bike related), and free repair clinics for individuals that are keen on picking up a few bike repair skills. All of these events are our way of giving back to the community and encouraging more foot traffic to the shop.”

Rahman is not just proud of Kayuh, but the fact that Francisville is a thriving neighborhood with lots of potential for growth. In fact, since Kayuh opened in 2012, there has been significant investments, improvements, and diversity. Some of the best landmarks in the neighborhood include: Girard College and the PTT Automotive School (just opened) that is directly across from Kayuh Bicycles & Cafe.

The new development happening around Kayuh “shows positive growth that will eventually bring in more people and investments in housing and public infrastructure.” As a business owner and native of Philly, Izzat feels these are great things that would convince people to consider moving to the neighborhood. “We hope to expand the business model in the near future and are optimistic with the changes happening in our neighborhood.”

Not only was the Vietnamese Coffee they served up delicious, but the concept is genius. –Bringing community members together and offering a service to promote health, wellness, and a means to pedal through this great city.