MADISON, WI – With over 20,000 miles of bicycle touring under his belt, Wisconsin-based restauranteur Christopher Berge has finally decided to put passion and vocation together with his bike-in/ bike-out concept restaurant. “Biking is my hobby and passion, and restauranting is my vocation,” said Berge, co-founder of several restaurants in Madison, WI. But for Berge, that isn’t enough; the 46 year-old has plans to build a bike-in/ bike-out restaurant, in Madison that is only accessible by bike path.
The inspiration for the restaurant comes from his many years of cycle touring across the globe. Berge has seen the world through the lens of the cyclist and now aims to amalgamate the two main facets of his life into one. He believes that it is “the zeitgeist of our times to cycle-commute“ and with the burgeoning cyclist population in Wisconsin, he has the opportunity to offer something unique to the community.
Berge admits that Madison has always been a car town and having a bike-in/ bike-out restaurant is a kind of blasphemy. His intention is for the Badger Den to be a “wayside pavilion with enhanced devices to service the cyclist community.” Berge has a mission to re-brand bike paths that do not accommodate vehicle traffic into “bike roads,” and to make facilities more accessible to cyclists, walkers and hikers. As such, through his restaurant, Berge aims to offer amenities not offered elsewhere, to the growing number of cyclists in Madison. To complement the restaurant, he plans to include amenities, such as restrooms, a water bottle filling station and a place to do light bike repairs. The Badger Den will be open seasonally from April to October.
The restaurant will rest on land that belongs to the Department of Transportation and the City of Madison. With its sustainable architecture and aesthetic, the proposed restaurant will be part of the green movement in Wisconsin. Madison has a large locavore trend, which Berge sees as an opportunity to support the local economy. In addition to keeping with the eco-friendly theme, he aims to design a restaurant that will produce almost no garbage. He plans to reduce waste by composting all organic materials and giving the compost to local agriculturalists.
Since the inception of this concept, there has been much positive response from the cycling community. While there is still some debate over offering services that aren’t accessible to motor vehicles, the support for Berge’s endeavour is growing. Perhaps these limitations will provide encouragement for further growth of the pedal-powered persuasion.
Latest Comments