The original Daytona Rossmeyer Harley-Davidson store at 290 North Beach Street that was turned into a museum after the passing of Bruce Rossmeyer in 2009 in a motorcycle accident is going to close its doors and be moved at the end of 2014 to Destination Daytona in Ormond Beach where it will occupy the second floor. In addition a new Harley-Davidson store is going to open in a renovated space at 510 Main Street, and will mainly feature tee-shirts, other clothing, coffee mugs and shot glasses, and will be open about five or six days a week. (Rossmeyer had a rented space in another Main Street building until late last year.)
The museum features Bruce’s personal collection of motorcycles, a 1914 and 1916 Harley models, a striking 1964 FLH, a Wyatt Fuller custom built (from Wyatt’s Razorback Engineering days), etc. It’s also the place where you can admire Jeff Decker’s “Elvis” sculpture, commissioned by Bruce and a collection of paintings by David Uhl, Scott Jacobs, Tom Fritz and others. In the museum people are also interested in seeing Bruce Rossmeyer’s original office from where he defined his strategy to expand from one store in Daytona to several dealerships in and out of Florida.
The news of the museum relocating at Destination Daytona in Ormond Beach is a big negative for merchants in and around Daytona North Beach Street, Rossmeyer’s Harley-Davidson then the Rossmeyer’s Museum having been the main draw of this part of town filled with vacant lots and closed stores.
Of course, an opposite reaction from business owners on Main Street avidly looking for new merchants to fill up the many empty stores.
With the consolidation of the Beach St. T shirt shop (museum) and destination Daytona the result being the World’s largest collection of Chinese Harley T shirts in the world. ..Z
With this move, the Rossmeyer’s have killed Daytona Beach Street but I am not sure that that the opening on Main Street is enough to revive it.
I don’t think the shirts are Chinese , Bangladesh maybe.
To the contrary, Daytona’s blight, vagrants and homeless along with overpriced rents/properties are, of course, what has killed Beach St. due to the lack of business interest and shoppers.
Main St. will always be Main St. and with the additions ongoing to the Boardwalk it will be there you for the time being if not longer. If you know any of the owners on Main St. they will tell you Rossmeyer’s is a welcomed move.
Boss Hawg
Beach Street will still live on …Yes the H-D store was a draw …but of late , just another point of sale for t-shirts ….Beach Street motorcycle Row ..still has some great shops..Carls Speed Shop , Indian and Victory, The Trike Shop , Roar , Strokerz , Black Gold, Red Ember Midwest Motorcycle Rentals , and Triumph-Ducati-BMW.. That”s a lot of world class talent -in a very small concentrated area …..SUPPORT THEM ….
Always upbeat and positive Rodent………
OliveOil(virgin I suspect )
The truth hurts! I lost my rose colored glasses years ago.kl
The Beach Street location was leased, and that lease is up. I’m guessing that the new rate may have been too high. Regardless, from a business perspective I would rather be on Main Street to sell more t-shits to tourists all season long. The bike week events are relatively short, and Beach Street is pretty much dead tourist-wise the rest of the year. Sure bikers, locals and business people frequent Beach Street, but not to buy t-shirts.
Bruce’s heirs collectively are not the businessman Bruce was, as witnessed by the retraction of his empire.
Andygears