STLBarWarz to Restructure Business Plan : Adds $5 Venue Fee.
Starting in March (specifically on March 7th at our SFxT Release Party) STLBarWarz will be applying a $5 door charge to our weekly events. While I would love to continue running these events for free, this job has far outgrown our early days where 5-8 gamers huddled around a single setup. The operation now requires more effort and assistance to run smoothly, so the time has come to adjust our business strategy accordingly. However, in the process we'll be able to make STLBarWarz more professional and even more enjoyable in the months to come.
The bar business is an expensive enterprise. Overhead costs such as mortgage, electric, gas, water, employee pay, inventory, and entertainment services (just to name a few) are often overlooked. Our primarly mode of making revenue is by selling liquor. And although our community does have a handful of faithful imbibers, many don't purchase alcohol which is reflected in the total sales on Wednesdays as compared to other nights. We certainly respect everyone's right to drink whatever they'd like, be it hard alcohol or soft drinks, but something needed to happen to offset the costs of running things. My only other alternative was to change our Wednesday format to something else entirely (an open mic night for example) to increase earnings. But I think we've worked too hard to cultivate and grow this community that instead of throwing in the towel, we just need to work together to make this a feasable endevour for a neighborhood pub to host.
PRECEDENTSÂ AND STANDARDS
The vast majority of venues that run tournaments and hook-ups around the country all charge a venue fee. Its just a part of doing business. Usually this is because someone has rented out the venue from a third party who is uninvolved in the gaming scene and they need to pay for the space. Even our own FatalKO abides by this law of the land charging a respectable $5 door fee. I'd love to be the exception to this rule but I also have to be realistic.
If you step back further into the 'stone-age' of the arcades of the 90's and early 2000's, money was pumped directly into the pockets of the venue-owner via quarter munching cabinets. Nowadays we're lucky to play most of our games on home consoles. However someone has to host the space and pay for all of the overhead costs I outlined earlier. So putting things in perspective, $5 is a rather modest fee for an entire evenings worth of entertainment, especially compared to days gone by.Â
The majority of the money ($4) goes directly to Danno's to justify keeping STLBarWarz coming at you every week by keeping the expenses covered and bills paid. The smaller portion ($1) goes into the STLBarWarz fund specifically to pay for all kinds of exciting things for the betterment of your experience when you come each week. This may include new monitors, controllers & adaptors, copies of games, and improved stream equipment to elevate our presence to the FGC at large. Overall, we'll be able to reach our goals much quicker using this method than by taking out a dollar from every tournament entry. Which leads me to...
Now, rather than tournaments costing $6 (or more) all main tournaments will only run you $5. Smaller tournaments (such as Cabinet tourneys or Midnight Madness tournies) will cost less, usually only $2. All of the money collected will go into the pot for the top finishers. We will also be more adamant about running events on time and starting tournaments at the announced time to give you a more reliable and professional experience.
STLBarWarz will be offering incentives to our regular patrons who attend our events every week. For only $15 you can sign up as a GodLike member of STLBarWarz and get a month long pass (or a one week for free; two weeks on months that have five Wednesdays such as May). The only rule is that you must pay the full price of admittance on the first Wednesday of the month. [There will be no refunds if you cannot attend every week that month, even due to unforeseen circumstances.] In addition to saving some coin there are other reasons to go GodLike. Your name will be entered into a month ending raffle to be held at on the last Wednesday of the month for some killer prizes. This is an extra thank you for those members of our community who take it to the next level by joining us each week and bring their all to the fighting game scene.
To identify who has paid their dues we will be stamping hands with the STLBarWarz logo instead of using pesky wristbands. For those who'd like to drink all the Mountain Dew or Pepsi they want for the whole night, there will be an option to spend $10 for a red stamp to make fountain soda all-you-can drink for the night. This is another great option to maximize your bucks and avoid having to spend $2 for refills.
HOW TO STAY FREE [THE GOOD WAY!]
Although we've been steadily gathering consoles, screens, and games to provide for use in house, we still rely on the community to bring out their own set-ups so everyone has a chance to get in a game. We don't take this contribution for granted and want to provide further impetus to these folks who go above and beyond by bringing their own gear to the party. Anyone who brings a set-up (a console and screen) will be given a free pass to play for the night.
To avoid a mass of confusion (i.e. everyone bringing up setups and not having enough space to put them) we are starting a new system to reserve space for people who know they plan to bring out their consoles each week. If you normally bring out your set-up and plan to do so for the entire month, you can sign-up on the first Wednesday to reserve your place and come to play for the entire month for free. If you cannot attend on a certain week your spot will be made available to someone else who might like to bring up their console just for that night. Whoever reserves a spot for their setup AND comes every Wednesday throughout the month will also be entered into our month ending raffle as your contribution is GodLike in its own right. The other spots we have open will be filled on a first come first serve basis (as it always has). STLBarWarz staff (myself, Mike Kovac, Eric Pogue) reserve the right to call capacity if we feel that all the spots have been filled up. We will not argue with someone who wants to put a set-up somewhere else in the bar that may encroch on someone else who may not be there for gaming. We will start posting how many 'open' and 'reserved' stations there will be the day of events.
Community members are free to invite friends out who do not plan on gaming. They will not be charged the venue fee, only those who will be playing casuals and in tournaments. However, anyone who comes out and attempts to game without paying our venue fee will be warned first and asked to pay, but may be asked to leave by Danno's staff if this problem persists. Please understand that this system is only fair if everyone abides by it. Â
THE BEST EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE
Gaming is a social experience. And in this day-and-age of online gameplay we love standing up for the tradition of the arcade experience. Sure, the hardware has changed, but getting out and playing people whom you can communicate with in the flesh is an experience unlike any other (it also solves that pesky lag problem). We want to continue to bring you the biggest, best, and most varied events possible. And with this new business plan not only can we keep doing what we've been doing, but we can grow and expand our possibilities even further. I know there will be some criticism, but I hope the community by reading this post will understand the necessity of this change and continue supporting us.Â
Look forward to the reopening of our kitchen in March (with a new menu of delicious homemade nosh!), more non-alcoholic options including craft sodas and energy drinks, more drink specials for those who do partake, Â STLBarWarz and other FGC related apparel, among other exciting improvements to come in the months ahead!
- MMCVoraciousWays [Chris]
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