Cycling and coffee are the perfect duo — like peanut butter and jelly, or yin and yang. Combining the two into one shop space is a concept Chris Anderson, owner of Kind Bikes and Skis, had thought of years before. Six years, actually. “I always thought that retail and coffee can live together in a symbiotic manner,” Anderson says. So, when the vacant space in West Vail presented itself, he knew who to call.
Enter Marci and Larry Leith, owners of Yeti’s Grind. The trio had previously tossed around the idea of a joint space, but the timing — or the space — was never quite right. “It was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole,” Marci Leith explains. But when Anderson stepped into what was once a grab-and-go market and kitchen in West Vail, he saw something different: a space perfect for creating a community hub centered around coffee, cycling and skiing. Finally, the pieces all fit together.
More than just a place to grab food or tune your gear, Anderson saw a void to be filled in West Vail — a hub, a gathering place, a spot where locals and visitors could fuel up, catch up and gear up before heading out for a day in the mountains. Because if there’s one thing coffee shops and bike shops have in common, it’s that they bring people together.
Photo courtesy of Yeti’s Grind
“I see it as a social hub for the community,” explains Marci Leith. “Several pieces come together in this space — social connectedness, promoting physical activity and bike and ski service — will ripple goodness through the community.”
The connection between Kind Bikes and Skis and Yeti’s Grind isn’t new. Before their shared West Vail home, Kind led group rides from their Edwards shop to Yeti’s in Vail Village, where riders would sprawl out on the Solaris lawn with a cold brew before pedaling back. This latest chapter? It’s just a natural evolution of an already tight-knit bond.
Shared space isn’t just about proximity — it’s about partnership. Although the businesses may be divided by a sleek, architectural metal half-wall, success depends on more than design. It requires alignment in values and vision.
“There are interesting things to navigate,” says Larry Leith, who has opened more than 60 businesses, including numerous Tokyo Joe’s locations. “It only works with people who have like-minded businesses, focus on having great teams and always doing the right thing.”
And if they weren’t so in sync? “That wall would always be closed,” Larry Leith laughs.
But it’s wide open. Because at the end of the day, this space isn’t just about bikes or coffee. It’s about creating a place where everyone feels at home, whether on two wheels or two feet. And that’s exactly what they’ve brewed up.
