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This is from a press release dated Nov 23 2007, by our good friend Shelly, it gives some background about Peter and Tiffany:
It all began with the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and a bet to quit smoking.
Who would have thought that a simple commitment to raise money for a cause would have set off this chain of events? marvels Tiffany Barson, who opened the Campbell Street Bike Shop last Friday with her husband Peter.
Tiffanys relatives are avid cyclists in Atlanta, and her father promised to buy her a nice bike when she stopped smoking and finished the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer nearly four years ago. Two months later, her husband Peter joined her in being smoke-free, and in having a shiny new bike.
Since then, the Barsons and their sons Jake, 11, and Max, 9, have become avid cyclists. They have participated in the Bike the Drive annual cycling event down Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, and in other local races and events. Peter has taught himself how to fix and rebuild bicycles, and has become a certified bicycle mechanic, often doing bicycle maintenance for friends and family out of his garage.
Opening the Campbell Street Bike Shop is the realization of a dream for Peter.
Ever since the ABC Bike Shop closed a few years ago, there has been a need for a good bicycle repair shop and a place for families to go for all of their cycling needs, whether they are into competitive racing or just looking for a good first bike for their children.
The opening of the bike shop has a bittersweet side as well. In 2006, Peter lost both his mother and his stepmother to cancer. This left him with some unexpected resources he could use to start the bike shop, as well as the determination to make a success of his new business in their respective memories. He recently stopped working as a manager at Atwood Cafe restaurant in Chicago to open the Campbell Street Bike Shop, and has not looked back.
It has been pretty nerve wracking, sure, but we have done everything step by step. It took us a while to develop a business plan that made sense to us, and then we worked with the Peoples Bank of Arlington Heights, and got some good advice from other business owners like Mark (of Runners High and Tri). We are just hoping to make a respectable living and encourage people to reduce their carbon footprint, Barson says with a wry grin.
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