The Story
From the Owners
What was the inspiration for Phat Tire? |
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![]() Owner, Chris Brosh, stands outside of the first Phat Tire Bike Shop. |
What were the early days of Phat Tire like? We didn’t have much when we started, we could only afford to have about 30 bikes on the floor and had basic parts and clothing to sell. Our floor was so empty that we even had room for a couch and 2 chairs around a TV that played bike videos…that floor space is thankfully too valuable now! Many of our customers likely had to wait on special orders for 2-3 days if we didn’t it in stock just because we were new and were severely undercapitalized! Chris was the first store manager, and he hired 2 other employees to help him: Don West – a solid mechanic and Jimmy Buckner – a young high school BMX addict who helped us reach that crowd. We used Don’s knowledge of the cycling industry and bicycle mechanics, Chris and Tim’s business/community connections, and Jimmy’s reach to the BMX and high school scene. It was an interesting combination but it worked. We were certainly a small, local business who were passionate about our mission to make Bentonville a bicycle friendly community and get people on bikes! |
Where did the name Phat Tire come from? Why Bentonville/Fayetteville/Fort Smith/Northwest Arkansas? |
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