The Hub ADK

“You’ve gotta check out the hub” friends told me when I first arrived at Lake George a few summers ago. They were right, this place is a must go after apres bike ride in the Adirondacks. The Hub is a cafe, bike repair shop, local crafts, beer/wine bar and ice cream!! What more could you possibly want or need? Here’s some wild inspiration from founder Drew Cappabianca

Describe your perfect day as a wildpreneur.

A perfect day for me for me is when one of our event ideas comes to fruition and succeeds. For example, we hosted a culinary bike tour of restaurants in the area a few years ago. A ton of time planning, promoting, and coordinating went into it. We had an unbelievable turnout and everyone had an amazing time. There were a lot of moving parts and points of potential failure, yet it all came together. I’d like to stress the “everyone had an amazing time” part. There’s no greater feeling than people expressing sincere gratitude for something you’ve created.

Is this work your passion? What keeps you motivated?

I never thought it about it like that, but yes, it is my passion. More so the work is just an extension of me. The concept is mine, the execution is mine, the mistakes are mine.

As a bike shop, cafe, and bar with live music, I often joke that I just turned my lifestyle into a job. It’s like the business is just an extension of me. Of course it’s not that easy or simple, and of course it’s also extension of the darker side of my personality, but in the end the work is me.

What keeps me motivated is there’s no limit to what we can do with the business. We can always do more (or less) and everything we do can always be better or different. We started as a bike shop, cafe, and bar. We host charity rides and other events. We added live music. We built a mountain bike and hiking trail system. We’re starting a hostel. We’ve continuously refined our internal processes to make for a better customer (and employee) experience. What’s next? Whatever falls into place first. Ideas are cheap and easy, resources are finite and hard to come by.

Did you make any personal sacrifices to get your businesses started? Any funny examples of living on a shoestring budget? 

Do you mean other than constantly being on the verge of a mental breakdown, straining my marriage to the point of needing counseling, and nearly suffering an existential crisis? Seriously, all that happened, but on a lighter note I went from driving a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen TDI to a 1990 Ford F150 without A/C, heat, or a working radio, and shook like a banshee above 45mph.

What advice would you give to someone looking to start their own wild business?

Be prepared for the answers in the previous question. As if that’s possible. Hah!  

What do you wish you’d known prior to getting started? 

Nothing. I really mean that. Most of the hardest lessons I learned I already comprehended cognitively, but until you actually live through it you don’t completely understand. The only possible exception to this statement is about the costs involved in running a restaurant on well and septic versus municipal, but if I had known that I probably would have pulled the plug on the business, and I can’t imagine that. Plus, that’s a boring answer.

What’s your favorite part about being a wildpreneur?

Ultimately, at the end of the day, I’m in a situation that I got myself into by doing things I wanted to do. Good or bad. No matter how stressful it gets, I’m the only one responsible for putting myself in whatever position I’m in, and that’s a freeing feeling.

What was your inspiration to create The Hub?

I worked in ski and bike shops my whole life. I liked the idea of selling fun, but in the end you’re just selling stuff that enables fun. You’re expected to sell for the sake of selling. I got sick of that and wanted more. I wanted to sell the experience of cycling, not bikes and accessories. The idea was to be like a ski lodge or golf clubhouse, but for cycling. A place to park, meet, change, warm up/cool down, eat and drink, with technical services for the activity (the bike shop).

More importantly I wanted to actually sell fun, regardless if you ride bikes. Everyday life is busy and hectic and stressful. I wanted to create a release from that.

Do you have a favorite motivational quote or book?

I really don’t. My favorite quotes are actually pretty dismal, but they help you get through tough times. Of those quotes, “Hope: the first step to disappointment” is my favorite.

If anyone that knows me is reading this they’re probably chuckling and shaking their head simultaneously.

Anything else you’d like to share about your journey?

Looking back on it I don’t think anyone in their right mind would have put this much effort into something that has such a questionable probability of success. Then again, I’ve never been in my right mind. While the money has yet to come, I can’t imagine being richer in personal relationships and experiences. The best experiences with customers seemed to happen on the hardest days, like a gust of wind in my sails, and that’s magical.

Where can we follow you?

http://www.thehubadk.com/

@thehubadk (Instagram & facebook)