When Marcus Moore started Yojimbo’s Garage six years ago, he decided to do something most of his competitors didn’t: open at 8 AM. About half the bike shop’s customers are bicycle messengers, as was Moore until 1995, and the early hours make a difference to them. “I know what it’s like to work all day, have something happen to your bike, and then have to have it ready before work the next day,” says Moore. “When I was messengering, the earliest a bike shop was open was at 10 AM, and that pretty much guarantees you’re going to miss half a day of work.”
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In 1997 Moore was splitting his time between working as a carpenter and as a mechanic at Village Cycle and, later, Upgrade Cycleworks. He noticed that many local bike shops seemed to focus on sales rather than maintenance, and decided there was a gap to be filled–and besides, he says, “I needed a decent job.”
Moore works efficiently without moving particularly fast. With a disheveled blond beard and an intent, quiet demeanor, he looks a little like a monk. He named the shop after the Kurosawa film that inspired the Man With No Name westerns. Yojimbo is Japanese for “bodyguard,” or, loosely interpreted, one who looks after other people’s needs.
Yojimbo’s sales have been particularly sluggish the last few months; and right now Moore’s stuck with too much inventory and too many bills. In an attempt to boost sales, he’s discounting all purchases over $100 until the end of the year. If that doesn’t work, the garage may have to close.
