Poll: A Geek Bar?

[PedroSteckecilo]

A couple of friends and I have been discussing our disatisfaction with our current work situations, what we'd like to do with our futures and exactly what is plausible and what isn't. One idea that came up was trying to start up a Bar/Pub/Tavern that catered to the geek set rather than the standard assortment of Sports Bars, Neighboorhood Pubs and Irish Pubs that pepper the landscape here in Calgary. So the question I pose to the socially geeky residents of The Escapists is as follows...

Would you go to a Geek Bar?
What would make a Geek Bar both appealing to Geeks and not totally off putting to the casual walk in customer?
Does anyone know anything about running such an operation?

 

[Fightgarr]

That sounds like it could be very fun or a colossal failure.
Many geeks tend to be social outcasts or among other geeks become extremely arrogant and competitive. However I would definitely go to a geek bar.

As a bar regular already the only thing I really require from a bar is pool. I don't even need drinks, just a good social environment to school some people at 8-ball.

 

[Grand_Poohbah]

A place with several copies of the latest gaming magazines would be awesome. Special event nights for certain games. Maybe even cosplay events if your in to that. I think that'd be fun.

 

[nathan-dts]

Sounds like a good idea; why wouldn't you want to socialise with people like yourself? The only problem is if your town has enough geeks.

 

[GyroCaptain]

Sports bars, etc. are already in fine form, the trick would just to be not going overboard. What might make a good tie-in would be to set up classic arcade machines, so it would overlap with that sort of interest.

 

[Stegofreak]

One of our local bars regularly has gaming nights which is pretty sweet. I think the key is more to having the events than the venue itself.

 

[iain62a]

My answers are:
I would go to a geek bar, if the law let me.
Don't make it blatantly geeky.
No, sorry.

I have a few questions though to you though.
How big is Calgary?
Are there enough geeks in Calgary to make the bar viable?
What size of pub are you thinking of?

 

[NiceGurl_14]

That's a kewl idea but if it's a bar the real issue is that your gonna have a lot of younger people wanna get in. Since there's such a vast range of geeks you might wanna do as some others suggested, events for certain nights.

 

[SharPhoe]

I'm not old enough to drink, and even if I were, I wouldn't. Still, I'd probably go to hang out for a while.

 

[KaZZaP]

My answers are:

How big is Calgary?

Pretty damn big, I use to live there and its a big city for sure. Maybe close to 1 million. Its basically as big as the capital of the province.

 

[IHaveNoCoolness]

I'm going to go with no.

They used to have these great places for geeks to hang out called Arcades... there would be wall to wall games, loud music and in some cases a place to buy beer. Somewhere along the way it became cheaper, easier and less of a hassle to do this at home.

I'm not sure exactly what a bar that catered to geek culture would be like though... because there are so subsets of geek. From comic book geeks, to video game geeks, to DnD geeks to tabletop gamers. Most of these subsets of geeks already have a place to meet and do these things from their comic books stores to their video game servers. I'm not sure what introducing a tertiary place to do this will do to lure people away from these places... I mean, if you could open a tabletop gaming place and get a liqour license, I'm sure you'd have some tabletop gamers who would be all over that... but the problem is having a sustainable market for that... Tabletop gaming for example is already such a niche market, then introduce a pub idea and you marginilize the market further as you cut out anyone under 18 (Calgary) and anyone who doesn't drink or is against it (yes there are some people like that).

No, I don't know much about running a bar, but I am a business owner and I really don't see an idea like this working. I can't see it flying...

 

[super_smash_jesus]

that could work alright in Calgary. I go there often enough, and have a few "geek" friends living there that would most likely drink in that type of bar. What would you have playing on the screens though? I don't think G4TV would cut it.

But it is always fun to have gaming events like rockband, or big screen deathmatches etc.. at a venue.

 

[MarsProbe]

These days, I probably wouldn't go to a geek bar, though wouldn't rule out the possibility completely. That's not to say I couldn't imagine such a venture being successful either. I guess you would just need to be careful how you planned the thing out.

As long as you didn't go to overboard with the whole "geek" aspect - advertising it as such may not have the best effect. Are you thinking of making it specifically a gaming themed bar or encompassing a broader range of geek pursuits.

I'd be more inclined to try out such an establishment if it had a subtle and tastefuly done "geek" character that wouldn't put off any non-geeks that may be brought along as opposed to say (to use an example) a bar that blasts out a particular genre of music to the detriment of any kind of conversation and any person unfortunate enough not like that particular style of music.

 

[Katratzi]

There used to be a fairly successful Sci-Fi bar in London called Pages Bar. From the outside it looked like a normal Westminster bar, but on the inside it was all about the sci-fi, Star Trek carpet, giant USS Enterprise hainging from the ceeling. They had weekly sci-fi nights and quiz evenings and even got a few higher profile events put on, I met Gigi Edgley (Chiana from Farscape) for the first time there.

I used to really enjoy going there if only for the fact that their food was amazing!! they did quite well because not only did they cater for the sci-fi geeks but because they were in the middle of Westminster they also got all the government types going in for lunch.

Sadly a new brewery bought them out a few years back and re-themed it to a normal wensminster bar, which is a real shame.

Myself and a friend of mine were thinking of doing somewthing simmilar, but the idea never really got off the ground, though its still floating about in the back of my head.

 

[Parallel Streaks]

That'd be great, apart from the fact that Jocks and bitchy cheerleader-esque girls would come in for the sole purpose of mocking everyone. I get enough of that in school. If I were of age, yes, I would go to a bar that catered to geeks, you could even give it a geeky yet pub sounding name, such as The Dog and Pixel, or The Arcane Swan.

 

[IHaveNoCoolness]

I'm really digging the optimism in this thread about starting a niche market bar/lounge/place to spend disposable income during a recession.

I mean, almost everyone here is going "oh yeah, I'd go", but I really don't believe it. I'll probably get flame-basted for this but I think you're all liars.

Would you go and pay money at a place to play video games that you own at home?

They tried opening a video game lounge here in Edmonton and it failed miserably. Right on the Univeristy of Alberta campus... if it would have worked in Edmonton... it would have worked there.

 

[Pumpkin_Eater]

I would go. I doubt I'll ever have the chance though, since coffee shops already have such a strong hold on the target demographic.

That'd be great, apart from the fact that Jocks and bitchy cheerleader-esque girls would come in for the sole purpose of mocking everyone. I get enough of that in school. If I were of age, yes, I would go to a bar that catered to geeks, you could even give it a geeky yet pub sounding name, such as The Dog and Pixel, or The Arcane Swan.

That's kinda paranoid don't you think? The doorman could just refuse to let them in even some did show up.

 

[Internet Kraken]

Sports bars, etc. are already in fine form, the trick would just to be not going overboard. What might make a good tie-in would be to set up classic arcade machines, so it would overlap with that sort of interest.

Yes, have it feature a variety of interests in addition to the main focus. That way you can still get customers who aren't the target consumers.

 

[IHaveNoCoolness]

I would go. I doubt I'll ever have the chance though, since coffee shops already have such a strong hold on the target demographic.

That'd be great, apart from the fact that Jocks and bitchy cheerleader-esque girls would come in for the sole purpose of mocking everyone. I get enough of that in school. If I were of age, yes, I would go to a bar that catered to geeks, you could even give it a geeky yet pub sounding name, such as The Dog and Pixel, or The Arcane Swan.

That's kinda paranoid don't you think? The doorman could just refuse to let them in even some did show up.

By not allowing potential customers into the bar you might as well just throw your investment out the window...