It’s all natural at new 6th Ave shop, where coffee and beer meet indie-cycling must-haves
Where there’s synergy, there’s opportunity, and a new business on Tacoma’s eclectic Sixth Avenue has married a few of life’s loves into a singular storefront.
The name belies what the third business from the owners of State Street Beer Co. and Lander Coffee truly offers. Wily Cycleworks is indeed a bike shop, but it’s also a coffee shop — with custom roasts produced at Lander — and a bar, pouring local beer from eight taps and natural wine by the glass (or snag a two-pack of bottles for the road).
In addition to espresso drinks, drip coffee, matcha, chai and hot chocolate, snacks include Macrina pastries and Homegrown sandwiches.
Owners Dusty and Alicia Johnson have joined forces this time with Dusty’s father David Johnson, a lifelong cyclist and now the Wily mechanic.
The late December opening at 2501 6th Ave. is the culmination of a father-and-son dream that began when Dusty was but a teenager in Colorado, his dad said this week. After retiring a few years ago from a career at Microsoft, which eventually brought him the elder Johnson to the Seattle area, too, the conversation around making it happen grew a little bit louder.
They started quietly working on the space, previously occupied by home-goods store Ruston Mercantile, last February. Friends helped with the build-out, a largely DIY effort that has resulted in a super-breezy shop with natural light crossing the upcycled floors and custom plywood fixtures.
“It’s actually a really good time to be here,” noted Dusty Johnson.
Interest in cycling — especially of the casual, recreational sort — boomed amid the stay-at-home days of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing manufacturers to scramble and existing shops to run out of bikes, particularly affordable ones. The industry has only just leveled out, he said.
Another local twist of fate that boosted Wily’s prospects: The sale of Old Town Bicycles in Tacoma’s Old Town and in Gig Harbor to the mega-player Trek Bikes left a void for the indie brands you can now discover on the northwest corner of 6th and Prospect.
The retail displays hold the likes of Italian-made Kask helmets; American-made Ornot accessories, both for you and your bike; Lezyne lights and Wera tools, among other cycling necessities. Bikes and bike parts, from handlebars to rims and tires, hail from Cannondale, Juliana, Santa Cruz, Cervélo , 3T, ENVE Composites and Scott Sports.
In addition to minor and full-fledged tune-ups, the shop will offer e-bike conversions, a cost-effective alternative to the average $2,000 price tag, according to REI.
“Turn any bike into an e-bike,” said Johnson, if you or the little ones need a boost getting up the region’s plentiful hills.
A TRIO OF COMMUNITY HANGOUTS
Meanwhile, the Johnsons have kept busy raising their two young children — Wily is named after a nickname for their oldest — and managing their two other businesses.
At State Street, which opened in 2017 next to Bluebeard Coffee, the concept has really settled into itself. They added a thoughtful pizza program during the pandemic and continue to bake 12-inch pies with high-quality toppings, like pickled grapes with speck and ricotta or pistachio pesto with goat cheese, kalamata olives and artichoke hearts ($15.50-$19.50). Aside from the always-regional, ever-changing beer list, the shelves also hold wine that leans into the natural stuff now also sippable at Wily.
At Lander, they roast beans on a modest machine in the back, including the specialty roasts for Wily.
A through line runs through each of the couple’s three businesses, from the minimalist aesthetic and curated products to the family-friendly, community-centric mindset behind them. Partake yourself seven days a week, and on Saturdays, consider a ride:
Rápido Cycling Club, which officially launched a couple years ago, now departs from Wily at 10 a.m. The group heads to Point Defiance Park, where riders can roll at their own pace on Five Mile Drive before regrouping at 11:40 a.m., returning to State Street for beer and pizza.
All are welcome on any ride, but every first and third Sunday, the group also hosts a women-led ride.
WILY CYCLEWORKS
▪ 2501 6th Ave., Tacoma, wilycycleworks.com
▪ Daily 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
▪ Details: dual cafe/wine bar inside a bike shop with full-service tune-ups, gear and wheels
▪ Cycling Club: meets Saturday at 10 a.m., check rapido.club and instagram.com/rapido_club for ride updates
This story was originally published January 10, 2025 at 11:02 AM.