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Northeast Ohio is full of creative people following their dreams while trying to make a living. From jewelry crafted out of broken street glass to sound equipment engineered for rock stars, see what people are "making" in the community.

Making It: Coffee And Bikes Pair At Unique Space In Old Brooklyn

MAKERS: Trey Kirchoff, Berto Huertas, and Mason Adkins

BUSINESS: Coffee Coffee Coffee + Sixth City Cycles

TEAMING UP IN THE BASEMENT: Out of a basement in an Ohio City apartment, Berto Huertas and Mason Adkins partnered to create Sixth City Cycles. The duo met working at a local bike shop and took their love of customization home with them. "We were taking old scrap bikes that were gathering dust," says Huertas. "All our friends at some point needed inexpensive bikes." Eventually, Trey Kirchoff, of Passengers Cafe, met the duo and proposed teaming up in a larger space in Old Brooklyn. "I'm working with literally ten feet around me in my damp basement," says Huertas. "If I can make that work I can make this work."

OLD BROOKLYN SEEKS COFFEE: The Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation had raises some money to place a coffee shop inside the Brooklyn Branch of the public library, but it never happened. "The neighborhood had been ready for it for quite some time," says Kirchoff. "I came out to see this space they actually hoped to put it in and didn't look at any other space I believed in it so much. I realized there was real potential here." 

FROM THE GROUND UP: After selecting the location, the three partners went to work revitalizing the space. "We did everything," says Kirchoff. "I learned how to tile a wall. I learned how to tile a floor. I think I did a pretty good job." They repurposed much of the original framing, creating a modern stripped-down environment. "We took old night stands and turned them into moveable work benches," says Huertas. 

IMPACTING THE COMMUNITY: "I would love to see the community make this space multi-use," says Huertas. "It's not just a coffee shop, it's not just a bike shop. I want it to be a hub where people can meet and share ideas." And the community seems to share the sentiment. "People come in and say, 'We are so happy that you're here. Thank you for taking a chance. Thank you for investing in Old Brooklyn'" says Kirchoff. "It's almost embarrassing to hear people say that so directly, but we've heard so much of it that it feels like we're on the right track."

jeff.haynes@ideastream.org | 216-916-6276