Cannoli Friday started small, by accident really. Josh, who had just started his own law firm representing injured cyclists, often stopped by the shop on his way home from work. Many of our customers did—folks just looking to chat, have a friendly conversation about bikes, or anything else before they headed home for the weekend. This one Friday, Josh walked in holding a pastry box. Josh’s office was in Boston’s famously Italian North End. “I wanted a cannoli, but it seems weird to buy just one cannoli. And I don’t want to eat six cannoli, so I brought them to share.” Josh, myself, and the mechanic working with me that day all had cannoli, and we offered the three left over to the next three customers who walked in the shop door. “Wait. Why?” they asked. “Why not?” Their reactions of surprise and delight were so joyful and fun. I, for one, love surprises, and I love when others love surprises.
Josh started bringing cannoli to the shop regularly on Fridays (always from Modern Pastry, never Mike’s). Folks began to expect it. They stopped by on their way home from long weeks at work to talk and maybe grab a cannoli if there were any left. A bike accessory start-up founder asked if he could launch a Kickstarter for his new bike horn at Cannoli Friday. During the sweltering summer months, when cannoli wouldn’t have survived the bike delivery across the river, we teamed up with a customer who had a paleta cart to switch to popsicles. She debuted several new flavors during those Fridays. A hashtag was created (#CannoliFriday).
Folks brought six-packs to share. We always ran out of cannoli. Once, during the dead of winter, a homeless shelter was shut down due to infrastructure issues. A regular at Cannoli Fridays was working as part of the response, called Boston Warm. We turned the next Cannoli Friday into a fundraiser, and with barely any notice, raised over $1000 for Boston Warm. We hosted a birthday party, a rehearsal dinner, and one engagement. I know of at least three children whose parents met at Cannoli Friday.
I can now say, with the clarity of time passed, that Cannoli Friday was the most important thing I did as a business owner. Making space for some whimsy and community, and getting the chance to say “Why not?” and experiment, was such a gift and joy in my own life. I can also now, finally, admit that I do not like cannoli.
