VANCOUVER, British Columbia (BRAIN) — Mobile bike shop Velofix is expanding to 41 locations with the addition of franchises in Canada and across the U.S.
The new locations include Velofix’s first female franchisee, Francesca DeRanzo in St. Louis. DeRanzo has 10 years of industry experiencing working in bike shops and for manufacturers.
“I knew I wanted to work in the cycling industry and be my own boss, but when researching my options, owning a brick-and-mortar bike shop was way too expensive because of the cost to lease space and hold inventory,” DeRanzo said. “For me, Velofix is an opportunity to continue to do what I love, work with bikes, and become profitable more quickly without huge risks or big startup costs.”
Velofix has recently opened franchises in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia; the Kitchener/Waterloo/Guelph area of southern Ontario; Halton, Ontario; Spokane, Washington; Phoenix; and Denver and Boulder, Colorado. Additional franchises are set to open soon in Orange County, California; San Francisco; Park City, Utah; Salt Lake City; and Rhode Island.
“When we started this business three years ago we knew providing mobile bike repair would be a great idea that would fill a gap in the cycling industry,” said Velofix co-founder and CEO Chris Guillemet. “With the onboarding of these new territories more cyclists can experience the premium service experience Velofix promises to deliver to each customer.”
The company has also bolstered its internal support team, adding a Canadian business development manager, a franchise and operational support manager, and a marketing and communications manager.
