Ypsilanti Citizen Community Sidetrack

Volunteers prepare for Ypsi PRIDE Day
By Mark Tower
May. 13, 2010   ·   7:09 a.m.

Volunteers and W.H. Canon employees plant flowers in Depot Town while Ypsilanti resident Mike Labadie repairs the planter's brick work on Ypsi PRIDE Day last year.

Each year, residents in and around the city of Ypsilanti carry on a tradition started by a group of community members enrolled in a city leadership program, a sort...read more

Bicycles zoom as flowers bloom
By Citizen staff
Apr. 30, 2010   ·   2:11 p.m.

Riders from last year's spring ride come in after a long trip. Bike Ypsi’s 2010 Spring Ride and Festival is from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sunday at Recreation Park (1015 Congress Street).

The weather has turned, the trees are budding and the flowers are popping out of the ground; time for a cruise through town. But don’t be so quick to hop in the...read more

Sheriff Clayton visits Ypsilanti Township
By Mark Tower
Apr. 29, 2010   ·   12:59 p.m.

Ypsilanti Township resident Kathleen Hanadel takes notes as her and other residents attempt to asses WCSO services Tuesday evening at a community forum held at the township's community center.

About 50 Ypsilanti Township residents gave the Washtenaw County Sheriff Office their input about law enforcement in the community Tuesday evening.

The information...read more

Local photographer raising funds for Ypsi Project exhibit
By Adrienne Ziegler
Apr. 20, 2010   ·   2:20 a.m.

Ypsilanti resident Nicholas Beltsos his grandson Demetrios were photographed by Project Ypsi photographer Erica Hampton during a bike ride she took Monday. A former EMU economics professor, Beltsos and his family moved to Ypsi from Dearborn in 1967.

Ypsilanti has many faces, and Erica Hampton wants to share a few of them with you.

Over the past year, Hampton created the The Ypsi Project, a series of portraits...read more

Savoy taking shape as live music venue
By Dan DuChene
Apr. 17, 2010   ·   2:38 p.m.

Local funk band Third Coast Kings play in Ypsilanti's newest live music venue, Savoy, Friday night.

Ypsilanti's newest concert venue is preparing for its grand opening weekend April 23, more than a month after its soft opening March 13.

Formerly Club Divine,...read more

Cafe Racer opens doors in Depot Town

Cafe Racer, located at 10 E. Cross St., opened its doors Saturday. Photo by Charnika Jett

Cafe Racer, located at 10 E. Cross St., opened its doors Saturday.
Bombadill's

Motorcycle repair, retail, coffee shop draws large crowd for grand opening

By Charnika Jett
Aug. 18, 2009    ·    8:16 a.m.


Usually on a hot summer day when the temperature climbs to 90 degrees, you see people wearing next to nothing in order to keep sweat bullets to a minimum.

That’s why some might have been surprised to see bikers, dressed all in leather, line up their loud engines in Depot Town for a one-of-a-kind event. 

Café Racer kicked off their grand opening celebration at 6 p.m. Saturday at 10 Cross St. Fans of the new coffee and bike shop came out in what seemed like record numbers to see what this small shop that generated a mighty buzz was all about. 

Patrick Summers, co-owner of Café Racer said it only took about five months to open up this new business venture. 

“There really hasn’t been anything like this before and [coffee and motorcycles] go pretty well together,” Summers said.  

Although it was way too hot to drink coffee or tea, customers controlled their body heat with ice-cold water or lemonade and snacked on finger food while they shot pool or checked out bikes for sale in the shop. 

“We wanted to give people a place to hang out and build a community of motorcycle, scooter people and have something cool in Dept Town,” Summers said. 

Don Secord, a huge motorcycle fan, didn’t mind the heat as he sat in front of the shop and admired all of the bikes parked along the sidewalk. 

“I heard about the café and decided to check it out,” he said as he sipped his lemonade. 

Not only can customers get their bike fixed, and sip on a hot cup a joe, but they can also buy from Café Racer just in case they want to take a piece of the shop home with them. 

“Bikes are always going to be on the floor for sale [as well as] parts,” Summers said.  “We also provide honest service. Were not trying to rip people off, were trying to get people a fair price.” 

Happy customers can also buy apparel to represent Café Racer wherever they go. 

Sara Whickman will most likely do that when she wears her Café Racer t-shirt back in Cleveland. This big motorcycle fan came all the way to Ypsilanti to check out the shop and also support her friend Claire, co-owner of the shop. 

“I think this place is awesome,” Whickman said. “It’s got a good feel to it.” 

 While people kept coming in and out of the shop to cop a feel of the cool air conditioning, the DJ mixed the beats in the back and the party officially began. 

To contact Café Racer call (734) 904-6659.



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