BRONZEVILLE — When Kozy's Cyclery opened its South Side megastore in March, the owners were greeted warmly by the neighborhood, according to regional manager Raquel Reyes.
"The neighbors gave us a cake as a welcoming gift. I didn't even get a chance to try it, the staff ate it so quick," Reyes said, joking with the sales staff and bike mechanics in the back of Kozy's fifth store, at 2540 S. Wabash Ave.
Reyes speculated that the introduction of Divvy has inspired a lot of novices all over the city to decide to buy a bike, which has helped the business and the cycling community thrive.
"It's been pretty good. The neighbors are getting to know us, a lot of people are discovering us and a lot are real happy we moved in," Reyes said, adding that the shop carries just about anything you could need for your bike.
The new shop sports many of the same features as other Kozy's stores across the city, including an in-house mechanic, a wide selection of bicycles and cycling accessories like helmets, shoes, car racks, parts, tires/tubes and wheels, Reyes said, adding that the company is one of the biggest dealers of electric bikes.
But what separates the Bronzeville store from the others is size and location, she said.
"The square footage is definitely bigger, and this is an up-and-coming neighborhood," said Reyes. "[We] wanted to open something around the South Side. The original store was around 35th Street, and [the owner] wanted to get back down here."
According to the company website, Kozy's opened in 1944 as a repair shop before moving from the South Side, planting seeds at four other locations and expanding to selling bikes, clothing and accessories. The business has been family-owned for three generations.
"We get a lot of customers who've known us and are coming back. They say 'I bought my bike here when I was a kid and now you're back,'" said Reyes, who's worked with Kozy's for seven years.
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