Downtown Buzz News from the Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone SPOTLIGHT White Pine Bicycle Co.


White Pine Bicycle Co. Located at 109 – 25 Forks Market Road


F


or Brendan McAndrew, setting up White Pine Bicycle Co., a shop specializing in city bicycles, in Winnipeg’s tourism hub was a no-brainer.


“I like tourist destinations – a place that’s accessible to every-


one,” describes McAndrew. “Instead of having the standalone bike shop that usually sits on a busy street, (I was) targeting places that are really active that sort of have that character to them, and I think Johnston Terminal has that.” After testing a kiosk location at Te Forks, selling 40 bikes the


first summer, McAndrew heard there was a permanent space in Johnston Terminal, and snatched it up, taking possession in the fall of 2015. Since then, the shop’s grown its space and wel- comed new neighbours like Oak + Oar and WAG at Te Forks,


SPOTLIGHT La Roca


giving it even more presence at the prominent destination spot. For now, White Pine has even held on to its outdoor kiosk for


visibility, and runs a bike rental service for both the summer and winter months. In winter, renting out fat bikes has proven especially lucrative, allowing tourists or locals to test their true winter hardiness. Tough offering rentals suits the tourism hotbed, White


Pine’s bread and butter is its customizable city bikes. Many complete single speed and fixed gear bikes and cruisers are on display within the shop and online, but it’s White Pine’s willingness to let you choose a frame then select the wheels, seat, handlebars, grip, etc. to accompany it, for a flat fee of $70, that really sets it apart. Born out of his own difficulty to find a simple and durable


new single-speed bike he could use to train on to get back into cross-country racing, McAndrew focuses White Pine’s business


on the commuting and cruising crowd. Offering reliable and reasonably affordable city bikes


that are customizable has been enough to set White Pine apart – but McAndrew has big plans to introduce more bikes manufactured for the White Pine brand, to add to its already strong brand support. “(Branded merchandise) is one of the things that really helps us get through the winter months,” adds McAndrew. Since the age of 18, McAndrew’s been at the helm of his own


business, starting out with jet ski sales. Starting White Pine shortly after came naturally to the now 24-year-old: “once I knew how to register a business and do all the steps that it took, it was a lot easier because I had already jumped through these hoops,” he says. White Pine Bicycle Co. is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.


La Roca Located at 115 Smith Street


T


he best part about La Roca is its ability to transform. On weekends, you’ll witness casual dinners take on new life as DJs arrive, lights are dimmed, and the


restaurant begins to pulse with Latin music, salsa dancers, and tequila specials taking over for taco orders. As soon as it dips into the late evening, La Roca swaps


into lounge mode, with Latin-inspired entertainment on Fridays, and more thumping club music on Saturdays. “We’re a restaurant that turns into an upbeat lounge,” says owner, Wade Salchert. “We are catering to an older demographic, with the aver-


age age closer to 40 for more of an upscale, mature lounge environment.” While Mexican fiestas predictably spike before any shows


or games at Bell MTS Place, reservations at La Roca flood in before each weekend, filling their large-capacity restaurant. Beyond its lounge capabilities, La Roca stands out for its


stunning double decker patio, the perfect place to gawk at Winnipeg’s downtown in the summer months, with a roof- top capacity of 40 and ground level terrace braced for 120. With its dynamic environment, La Roca has the ability to


appease the foodies among the sports fans. La Roca’s pre- mium lime margaritas are reminiscent of those beachside in one of the most popular Winnipeg winter getaway spots. “I just love the Mexican culture and the food,” says Sal-


chert, of his penchant for travel down south. “I thought, ‘why can’t we have that here?’” Grab tableside guacamole at La Roca as fresh as it comes


– mixed up right before you with fresh-squeezed lime juice and tortilla chips made in-house. Fish and shrimp ceviche is served nearly as fresh as if


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ordered from straight off a beachfront food cart as well. “We’ve been thinking about this Mexican concept for


about five years,” says Salchert, of him and his partners in the venture. “We were very particular about (the location) – the proximity to (Bell MTS Place), being on the south side of Portage and our ability to have a patio – it’s a little bit of everything put together… to have a very successful nightlife venue,” says Salchert. With ambient acoustic music to gently coax you through


dinner to stay for dancing, and a tequila list of 40-strong, La Roca has the right mix of Mexican ingredients to get you in the home-away-from-home spirit, right here at home. Visit La Roca at 115 Smith Street, open Tuesday to Sat-


urday. Keep an eye on www.laroca.ca/specials for weekly specials like Taco Tuesday (serving taco trios for $10) and weekday recurring parties with drink specials like Cinco de Wednesdays.


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