Letter From The Founder No. 18

Letter From The Founder No. 18

A moving retail store, new products, and a new addition to the letter: the Founder's list.

I'm writing this letter from my usual seat in the Beachman retail store at 2879 Dundas West in Toronto's Junction neighborhood. It is a poignant time to do so, because as of December 19, our retail store will be shutting down for good and moving to a new location.

We've had an incredible year here, and have made memories that will last a lifetime, but the time has come to move the store/clubhouse into our new factory down the street and focus on expanding our production across Canada. The new shop will be located at 500 Keele, unit 204. 

The coffee shop will be ready sometime in February, but you'll be able to come by as soon as January for repairs and other bike-related things. More details on the shop moving are in the email below.

In addition to the shop moving, we'll also be making it more of a clubhouse with couches and such, and you'll be able to see the new bikes being built right there as you enjoy a coffee. We have new products in store in the meantime, such as saddlebags, tee shirts, and hats.

I've also added a new section at the bottom with some things I thought my readers might enjoy. If it goes over well, it's something I'd like to continue with down the road, so that these letters have more interesting stuff for tasteful people such as yourself, reading this letter right now.

As always I will highlight all the important bits like this for those who only have time to scan the email.

So Long, Retail Store

The end of an era for us happens in a week, as we close the doors on our first ever shop. 

In 2021, we opened up our humble little "Coffee and Motorcycles" location in the Junction as a home base. It was in this little 800 sq. ft. building that we built our first 100 bikes, designed our first merch, and conducted hundreds of test drives. We had some ripping parties, some fun concerts, and some very, very chill Sundays. 

By the spring of this year, we knew we had outgrown our little shop. We found ourselves a warehouse around the corner, and moved all of our production and servicing there. Now, going into 2023, we want to make that space our new 'home base', and part of that means saying goodbye to the place we've called home since the early days of Beachman.

The entire contents of the retail store will be migrated to the new space, to establish a new yet familiar clubhouse for Beachman owners and prospective customers to hang out in and enjoy.

Our final day in the shop will be Sunday, December 18th, so come down and say hi before we move on!

Saddle Up, Partner

After many requests and much deliberation, we have Beachman-sized saddlebags in stock. Perfect for a casual ride around to pick up coffee and such, these guys will take your bike back a decade from the 60s to the 1950s. 

The Founder's List

For this issue, I wanted to add a few things to the letter that I find particularly tasteful, and that you, my reader, may enjoy yourself. Some are old favourites that helped inspire the brand since the beginning, and some will be new things I've just stumbled upon. But all of it will be inextricably Beachman.

Nikka Whiskey From The Barrel

As a lover of Whiskey, I am always looking for new and interesting things to stock my bar at home. When I lived in Vancouver, Japanese food and drink were quite common and so Nikka was a presence in most high-end liquor stores. The simple packaging and beautiful amber colour was what caught my interest at first; what surprised me was the character!

Nikka has a dark, bold flavour with lots of peat, so it's best enjoyed sipped over a long period. Not a surprise, coming from a culture that appreciates the art of sipping tea. I recently discovered that you can special order this bottle from the LCBO, so if you have a whiskey lover in your life, you probably have enough time to surpise them with a bottle they likely haven't tried, and will look beautiful on the shelf.

See more about the whiskey and it's history: www.nikka.com

Hayao Miyazaki's Porco Rosso

Another Japanese recommendation, and certainly a surprise for many to see an animated film in this list. But Hayao Miyazaki is undoubtedly one of the greatest living filmmakers of our time, and this film is as Beachman as it gets.

Probably his most casual work, it captures pilots in the "bygone days" of the Adriatic sea, the idyllic and wild islands that span between Italy and Greece, pre-WWII. The artwork, which is entirely hand-drawn, captures the warm, lazy afternoons of the Mediterranean in a way that can only be done through the eyes of an outsider like Miyazaki, who idealizes the landscapes as a far-away paradise.

The plot is quite simple and mostly paints the setting of Italy's rising fascist state in the 40s with a light brush, but it's this lightheartedness that makes it an enjoyable watch. Put on this movie on a lazy Sunday, and you may just feel like you're drinking a negroni on a quiet Italian coastline.

Porco Rosso is available on Netflix: www.Netflix.com

Food & Drink: 416 Snack Bar

For many of those who live in Toronto, this will be an old familiar name. 416 Snack Bar has been serving up a tight collection of dishes that represent the city at it's best for over 10 years. This is an old haunt for myself and friends, and is a spot where anyone of any age can come by and enjoy a cocktail that is far too good for the price. The secret at Snacks is to let the bartender know what kind of flavors you'd like, and let them make you a drink of their choosing. They're good enough to surprise and delight every time.

Standout Dishes: Korean Fried Chicken and Octo Bravas. Grab a Negroni Americano while you're at it. No reservations, no egos, and no light beers to be found here. Just good food and drink, and some excellent music.

Learn more about the spot on their hilarious FAQ page: www.416snackbar.com/about

Sun Ra: "Sound Sun Pleasure"

Since we're on the topics of whiskey and other nighttime pursuits, I figure I'd recommend this fantastic 1959 jazz album by Sun Ra.

"Sound Sun Pleasure" is about as smooth as it gets, from a composer and musician who could produce some pretty out-there stuff. The album rarely strays from ideal late-night whiskey sipping sounds, and features some fantastic vocals and trumpet. 

Standout songs: 'Round Midnight and Hour Of Parting.

Find it on Spotify: Sound Sun Pleasure
That's all for now!
 
As always, feel free to reply to this email to speak with me personally.

Ben Taylor
Co-Founder
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