Infusing cycling with coffee, new shop hopes to provide new gathering spot for community
By Andrea Papagianis
Melding a group cycling tradition of coffee before and after rides into a bike shop was a no brainer for the partnered-owners of Bike Religion’s storefront in Dana Point.
A little more than a year after opening their third location in the heart of the city’s Town Center, the Australian partners are putting their own twist on the community coffee shop scene with Crank and Grind. Situated inside Bike Religion’s doors, the coffee locale has a calming industrial feel with wood paneled walls, metal chairs and glazed tabletops finished off with potted succulents.
“We wanted to bring a little something different to Dana Point … and we saw the opportunity to open a coffee shop that has a community, earthy and artsy feel,” said partner Karen Lanzon. “It just has good synergy.”
While the concept may be newer in Orange County, Lanzon said the blend of coffee and cycling is big in Colorado. One of the pioneers of the American coffee shop movement, Orange County’s own Martin Deitrich, believes in the shop owners’ mission, she said. Crank and Grind only serves Deitrich’s blends of fair-trade coffee beans, roasted daily by the man himself out of Kéan Coffee in Newport Beach.
Sticking local, Crank and Grind also serves sweets from Dana Point’s own Kevin Montoya, the owner and pastry chef of Carley Cakes. Montoya bakes from another area coffee shop, Hidden House Coffee in San Juan Capistrano’s Los Rios District and delivers his fresh-baked goods daily.
Lanzon said eventually the shop will incorporate Australian treats, but for now has a full menu of coffees, teas and protein shakes for, “big cranksters,” or the adult crowd, and kid-friendly, faux coffee drinks and milk shakes with no artificial flavorings for their “little crankster” patrons.
Crank and Grind, 34150 Pacific Coast Highway, 949.373.4236, www.crankandgrind.com
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