Made In Matawan: Matawan Bike Shop

You’d be forgiven for thinking Reed Chojnacki, 21, is much older than he looks — he talks like a seasoned entrepreneur and has thoughtful insight beyond his years for any local business considering opening in the Matawan downtown. We caught up with him one recent morning at his shop.

Reed Chojnacki, Matawan Bike Shop

77 Main Street, Matawan
matawanbikeshop.com
Facebook | Instagram | 732-696-2487

When did you open Matawan Bike Shop?

We opened just over a year ago! In January 2017.

Why did you choose Matawan’s Main Street for your business?

I was looking in Matawan about two years ago, but wasn’t sure which direction the town was going. I was seriously looking at a spot in Red Bank for a while, a one-bay garage space. When I saw the development happening in Matawan and saw my current shop location, I jumped on it the next day. Things worked out really, really well. My current shop location costs less than what I would have paid for that garage bay in Red Bank, and the process to file the paperwork and open my business with the town was so easy.

What’s been the most rewarding part of owning your own business? The most challenging?

The most rewarding thing is you get to be the business you want to be. You’re able to go through every job you’ve ever had, pick all the good out of every shop you’ve ever worked at — from how to treat customers, what products to sell, determine the whole sales experience. Even though [my shop] is only 650 square feet, I’m able to carry every single make, model, color — kids, adult bikes, and do business the way I want. You can not ask for anything more than owning your own business, especially since the town made it so easy.

The most challenging thing for me, right now, is keeping up with the workload. Since Matawan is between [routes] 34, 35, 36, the Parkway and the train station, you attract a lot of customers, which I didn’t expect. It’s hard to keep up with demand, and find an experienced bike mechanic to help me keep up with all the work.

That sounds like a good problem to have.

I know it is.

What advice would you have for someone thinking about opening a business on Matawan’s Main Street?

You need to find the right location that suits your business. I knew I needed high ceilings, sidewalk space and storage. Plan ahead to be sure your business is the right fit for a downtown area — it’s somewhere people will want to go and spend time, it’s not a duplicate of the same type of business that’s already around. It’s really not that hard, the hardest part is just making the move to actually open the business.

What types of businesses would you like to see come to Main Street?

What you need in a good downtown are restaurants, bars, bakeries, a music shop...you need someone coming into town to be able to walk into and spend time in every business. You need business that can attract everyone. People want to listen to live music, go eat, head to a bar for a drink after.

Some of my other ideas for businesses before I opened the bike shop included a late-night coffee shop with vinyl and really good coffee — a place where people under 21, or people who don’t drink, could have somewhere to go hang out. The other was an architectural salvage shop with reclaimed wood, metal, signs...like a vintage shop but cool interior design building elements.

Anything else you want to mention?

We recently got in a bunch of Electra beach cruisers, all different colors, both kids and adult models. We just got Marin mountain bikes as well.

This summer, we’re starting Sunday group rides starting and ending back here at the shop. There will be recreational rides around town as well as mountain biking.

If you’re riding in the area or on the Henry Hudson, stop by and say hi! We have free air and oil, and a ton of bike accessories for sale.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.