{"id":318620,"date":"2026-08-11T13:52:31","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T13:52:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/318620\/"},"modified":"2026-08-11T13:52:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T13:52:31","slug":"blaque-resource-network-celebrates-long-standing-black-owned-queens-village-bicycle-repair-shop-qns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/318620\/","title":{"rendered":"BlaQue Resource Network celebrates long-standing, black-owned Queens Village bicycle repair shop \u2013 QNS"},"content":{"rendered":"

A number of Queens community partners came together last week to celebrate Flash\u2019s Bicycle Barn, a legacy black-owned business that has lined Springfield Boulevard in Queens Village<\/a> for the past 46 years.<\/p>\n

The community celebration, led by Aleeia Abraham of the BlaQue Resource Network<\/a>, took place outside the bicycle repair shop at 107-34 Springfield Blvd. on Friday, Aug. 7, featuring an appearance from NYC Chief Equity Officer & Commissioner Afua Atta Mensah and around 20 members of the local community.<\/p>\n

The store, operated by Doreen Thompson and her daughter Tesha, has lined Springfield Boulevard since 1980, offering bicycle repair services for local residents ever since.
\n\"PhotoPhoto by Shane O\u2019Brien\n<\/p>\n

Abraham said it is vital to ensure that legacy, family-owned businesses like Flash\u2019s, which was opened by Doreen\u2019s father in 1980, can be empowered to stay open in their community.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of our legacy businesses hold so much of our history\u2026 you can tell so much about a community by just looking at its storefront,\u201d Abraham said. \u201cObviously, there\u2019s an economic value with having people who live nearby keeping their businesses open. They employ locally and they care about their community.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said mom-and-pop businesses offer \u201csomething different\u201d to chains that open throughout the city, stating that long-term independent businesses are part of the fabric of their communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to keep people here,\u201d she said.
\n\"AleeiaAleeia Abraham, founder of the BlaQue Resource Network. Photo by Shane O\u2019Brien\n<\/p>\n

Abraham called on the local community to support businesses like Flash\u2019s, even if they don\u2019t ride a bike. In that case, she said, local residents can help by spreading the word to people who cycle frequently.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need you guys to stay open,\u201d Abraham told Tesha, who runs the store alongside her mother. \u201cYou\u2019re part of our story. You tell a portion of black history.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Abraham said she founded the BlaQue Resource Network seven years ago as a resource for black-owned businesses and to help celebrate black culture, history and entrepreneurship in Queens.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe Queens people were having a hard time finding out what\u2019s going on,\u201d she said. \u201cMaybe Queens people were having a hard time getting information.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Mensah credited Abraham and BlaQue Resource Network with creating a \u201cbeautiful storm\u201d with a strong civic organization that cares for the local communities it represents, adding that it was an \u201chonor\u201d to join last week\u2019s celebration.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo\u00a0be able to stand with a small business owner and support is so important,\u201d Mensah said. \u201cSmall businesses are what make this city thrive.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tom Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, said it was important to promote legacy businesses like Flash\u2019s, stating that he did not know the store existed until Abraham posted a video about it on her Instagram last week.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Today\u2019s celebration) is all about giving small businesses a chance,\u201d Grech said. \u201cIt\u2019s not about shopping at Walmart or shopping online. It\u2019s about buying a bicycle and getting it serviced locally.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"QueensQueens Chamber of Commerce CEO Tom Grech. Photo by Shane O\u2019Brien<\/p>\n

Local resident Steve White said he has been shopping at Flash\u2019s for generations, stating that he has bought his and his children\u2019s bikes at the family-owned store.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey always say a village raises a child, but the way they instilled that (love of bike riding) into my kids, I always appreciated that,\u201d White said at the celebration.\n<\/p>\n

Tesha said she has seen significant change in the neighborhood while working at the store across the decades, stating that kids are less inclined to ride bikes now than previously.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter school finishes, a lot of kids are staying at home,\u201d Tesha said. \u201cThey\u2019re not outside. They\u2019re not engaged anymore.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Tesha, who has been working at the store ever since her grandfather opened it in 1980, spoke of its personal significance, stating that she has built her life around the bicycle repair shop.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my home. This is my passion. This has been my life. And this is what I love,\u201d she said.
\n\"PhotoPhoto by Shane O\u2019Brien\n<\/p>\n