You All Meet In A Bar

[The_Fan]

No, I don't mean the gaming cliche.

I mean an actual bar.

Inspired a bit by Yahtzee's Mana Bar, as well as my own observation that the game store camaraderie is quite comparable to tavern culture but tends to exclude the actual consumption of booze, I had a brilliant idea:

A tabletop gaming-themed bar.

Many gamers love booze. Many boozers like to play games. Combining the two seems natural. Obviously, such a setup would be different from conventional bars. Music would have to be kept at a low volume so as not to distract. Tables would have to be large, to accomodate up to five players and the DM (possibly with a 1-inch grid and dice wells built in). Private rooms would be available for those who want some solitude for their gaming, with drinks delivered by the pitcher for them.

In my hometown there are 3-4 comic/gaming stores at any given time (some close, new ones open...two are permanent fixtures). I'd probably work out a deal with them to funnel players to me after-hours, so games could be continued and held well into the night.

The name "You All Meet In A Bar" is a working title.

Any thoughts on this? Would you frequent a gamer-friendly tavern?

 

[Nagol]

While an interesting idea, there are some possible considerations.

Personally, I'd use the facility very infrequently. We don't tend to imbibe alcohol while playing.

The consumption of food and liquor by patrons would have to be sufificient to cover the extra rent and lost opportunity from a regular bar layout and non-gaming patrons or a table rent would need to be imposed.

 

[Herschel]

If the business plan was approved, it would die a hideous death very quickly. Space is money, and time is money. Gamers suck up both without much RoI. Restaurants and bars make money by volume and client turnover. The more upscale places still turn over, but have a much higher margin built in to their prices to alleviate the slower turn times. Price points which gamers are by-and-large less likely to pay on a regular basis.

 

[Umbran]

I think the folks above have noted the problems in the business plan.

Now, a tavern with geeky pretensions, and maybe a couple of gaming rooms you could rent and have food and drinks served, that's something a bit more manageable.

 

[Cor_Malek]

I love the one that is in my city, and I've described the place in other thread (quotation enclosed).
In short - yeah, it's not a place everyone loves, it's a niche within niche. It's still more than enough to have it crowded all the time when it's in a bigger city. It's been there for ages, so - while Herschel's and Nagols arguments might be valid - the reality disagrees. Though there's a lot of little things adding up to it's success.

[sblock]

There's a place like that in my city, one that breaks probably all of advices listed here, and yet is extremely popular, so instead of giving advices, I guess I'll just try my best to describe it I've found one photo of it as well a photogallery:

The Troll: Clicky!

To start - it's not a cafe, but rather a pub. You go in, and either to up to the gaming area on first floor, or stay on ground floor where the pub is.

All walls are painted as dungeon/ruins surrounding, it's all quite expressionistic, with trolls as focus. The tables are made of irregular, heavy wood, with benches on area on left, and big metal chairs on area on right (both are separated by stairwell, seen on photo on the right).

What's very interesting - is that they focused on gamers and their friends, and realized that gaming is not all that gamers do. There's all kinds of great music to be heard, there are movies nights, and just the right beverages: it's the only joint around that offers the clients both Specjal (cheap beer beloved by students and construction workers), and Koźlak (local bock beer, high end). Oh, and they do offer 1 pint mugs, that has to count for something

As to the snacks - two fold plan. A lot of gamers are in high school of University, so they don't have a lot of cash, thus snacks are cheap but last for long - peanuts, that kind of jazz. On the other hand, sometimes people come there straight from school/job, so a hamburger is needed.

What you need to understand is how focused this joint is on it's clientèle. I'll give you insight from some clients from our city portal here with translation by Google: LINKY <- note that average rating of 5.4 out of 6 was lowered by a customer that gave 2 x 1 and a 2.

Now brace for impact: the pub is hardly lit at all, it's right by railtrack (like, 3 meters from entrance), the service tends to be snarky, the music is very loud, with train intermissions, and no one figured out the bathroom lock within first 2-3 visits.

The thing is - it's The Troll. It's supposed to be that way, and if someone knows it - you know he's an OK guy/lass. In theory, it'd be nicer if it offered high-end snacks - but hardly anyone could buy them, so why bother (in your case it'll be also choice between nachos or another mini, hmmm...)? Sure, the trains are loud, but you can leave the joint at very last minute before your S-bahn leaves, and it's easy to find for people from other parts of tricity. The service treats new people a bit like intruders - because that's what they are - but old customers can not only chat away, but more importantly - get a tab ;-)
How far from tracks? Not far at all.


Bottom line - it's the pub of choice for gamers because it's a place a gamer made and that gamers enjoy. The fact that there's a gaming area is just a neat bonus. They got what counts for their clients just right, and simply didn't bother at all about the rest, which is why on a 6-points scale, a posh girl wandering in by accident will end up with 2.2 impression when regulars think of it as a strong 6.

[/sblock]

 

[Herschel]

The troll is a one-off, and I'd be curious to actually see their books. Sounds like an interesting location with a kitsche clientele which some larger cities have a few of. Good for them, but hardly a general model with flexibility.

It's a dive bar with a theme. I love hole-in-the-wall dining myself, but realize I'm very much in the minority there, especially with the popularity of disgusting chain restaurants.

 

[Mexal]

Er... round here (Cheshire, UK) we DO play RPGs in bars!

Generally ones where someone knows the owner, or there was one group (about 3-4 tables' worth) which met in a "working men's club" which basically was a membership bar. We all joined the club, and negotiated the use of their upstairs function room midweek - met on Wednesdays - on the understanding that on the rare night someone wanted to book it, we'd clear out, that we can down to buy drinks and that we swept it out at the end of the night.

 

[El Mahdi]

"If you build it...they will come."

I would think you'd have to be in an area with a significant population...like New York City. But, if you were anywhere near where I lived, I'd be a regular! That is, as long as you serve Mojitos.

 

[Cor_Malek]

Um... wouldn't call it "one off" since there's a significant amount bars of differing class with similar model in my town, typically called Houses. Each one took a niche and is well off with it. Surprisingly enough, the only one that disappeared in recent years was the Literates House, one that was least focused on one particular group. But I think it was mostly due to opportunity cost of that place - a tenement 10m from major tourist attraction, the largest brick church in the world.

It sometimes works like that - a layman or even someone with experience in industry would wave it off, but it somehow works. The beauty of niches.

That said, how does drinking age look in South Korea? It's 16/18 in UK, and 18 in Poland, but in US with 21 I imagine it'd cut off a lot of potential clientèle as there's a lot of RP gamers among students and people in high-school. From what I've read I still don't know if it's 18+, or 20 with some exceptions. As I understand it it's when you start your 19 year of life, so effectively what Europeans would call 18, so... the same really. Or I might've got that wrong.

 

[Ampolitor]

you would be better off with a regular bar and have one day as a game day for RPgers, like sunday or something. Having it cater to just gamers won't even pay for your liquor license since most are probably underage. You would be better of getting a space and renting game tables, sell snacks like soda etc.. Make it a ultra cool gaming area with everything a gamer needs, books etc,, and you might make some money, but being such a small crowd I think you would be lucky to break even. Unless you already own the place.