Get your motor runnin’, Olympia. Revival Motors & Coffee Co. is ready to roll
Revival Motors & Coffee Co. boasts rows of gleaming motorcycles, most with long histories, and a gleaming espresso machine by Ascaso of Spain, the first commercial one of its kind in the country.
Along with all that steel, Olympia’s only motorcycle repair shop/coffee shop is home to vintage furnishings, quirky collectibles, local art and rocking music.
The eclectic elements make more sense when you consider the couple behind the just-opened business: artist/musician/motorcycle expert Jimmi Davies and Olympia Film Society executive director Audrey Henley, a born promoter with a passion for preservation.
Still, coffee, tea and snacks don’t seem like a natural pairing with motorcycle repair and rebuilding.
“People always say, ‘Coffee and motorcycles: I don’t understand the connection,’ ” Henley told The Olympian. “But there are quite a few of these motorcycle cafés. Portland has a ton of them.”
In fact, a quick search for “coffee motorcycles” turns up not only information about café racers (lightweight, low-powered motorcycles) and a biker/blogger determined to ride to every coffee shop in Indiana, but also such hybrid businesses as Portland’s See See Motor Coffee Co. and Brother Moto in Atlanta.
“The motorcycle community has a long-rooted history with coffee,” Ellie Bradley wrote in a 2016 article for the industry publication Fresh Cup Magazine. “Café racers … take their names from motorcycle enthusiasts who would take the bikes out on short, quick rides between cafés, a tradition dating back to the early parts of the 20th century.
“Cafés are a desirable destination for riders who want to stay alert on the road, and coffee is a much more practical (and safe) alternative than hopping between bars.”
A destination for riders — on Harleys, Hondas and even bicycles — was part of what Henley and Davies had in mind when they decided to open Revival, which consists of a coffee shop in the front, a motorcycle workshop/showroom in the middle and a garage devoted to the dirty work of repair and restoration in the back.
The bikes are Davies’ domain. It was his lifelong passion for vintage motorbikes — he had one hidden in the woods behind his parents’ house when he was 10 — that sparked the idea for the business, which is giving the longtime coppersmith a reason to shift his focus to motorcycles.
Motorcycles also helped to make the café happen in another way. The couple rides with the building’s owner, Damian Kolb. “He’s been our biggest fan,” Davies said.
Though bikes are its raison d’être, Revival was designed to welcome all comers for coffee and conversation.
“There’s an on-the-go, in-and-out kind of feel at most coffee shops these days,” Henley said. “We wanted something that felt more homey — not pretentious but just classy.”
The décor is a vibrant mashup of motorcycles, mid-century modern cane chairs, wood flooring from the Olympia Knitting Mills, animal skulls, black-and-white photos and a traffic light (currently nonfunctional, though Davies will soon have it lighting up again), all assembled with a strong sense of aesthetics.
The vibe is comfortable, social and loud, with lively chatter and music that doesn’t easily fade into the background. The Kinks’ “Let the Good Times Roll” was an appropriate soundtrack earlier in the week.
Like the furnishings, the menu has a definite Northwest feel.
Coffee — roasted by Seattle’s Caffé Umbria and brewed on the environmentally friendly Spanish machine — is just the beginning of the fuel available at Revival, which also serves locally blended teas, spicy chai and pastries from Left Bank Bakery.
Coming soon will be soup, sandwiches and breakfast burritos from Dillinger’s Cheese and Provisions and such grab-and-go snacks as nuts and smoked fish.
Further out, if all goes according to plan, Revival will have a front patio, a liquor license so patrons can opt for a can of beer (or cider, or even wine) and maybe some new motorcycling friends.
Tuesday, Henley asked a customer if he rode. When he said no, she suggested that maybe, thanks to Revival, that would change.
Revival Motors and Coffee Co.
- What: Owned by Olympia Film Society executive director Audrey Henley and musician/artist Jimmi Davies (Henley’s husband), Olympia’s only motorcycle repair shop/coffee shop has a vintage vibe and is filled with art and music.
- Grand opening: 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8. Festivities will include music from KGY-FM and a chance to win free tickets to see Reverend Horton Heat that night at the Capitol Theater.
- Hours: 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays
- Where: 314 Capitol Way N., Olympia
- More information: 360-888-6520, revivalmotorsandcoffeeco.com
This story was originally published February 6, 2020 at 5:45 AM.