Your Local Metal Coffee shop...

[SlayingSarah]

My dad, step mum and I want to start our own business...

A metal/rock/punk music and merch store / coffee shop.
I don't know about everyone else, but in my area, the closest metal store is half an hour away, and it's shit, other than that you have to go into the city for them...

So imagine having one close to you, or at least closer than the others, that's a sick place to hang out as well...

My question, what would make that place stand out above the rest?

P.s unless your on the opposite side of the world... please don't steal our idea. I'd just like to hear some ideas and this seems like a good place for it.

 

[Valerie]

My question, what would make that place stand out above the rest?

Selling more underground music, not just the popular stuff. Wouldn't want it to be a Hot Topic with coffee.

 

[SlayingSarah]

haha. well yeah of course... and we'd always offer to import stuff for people if they don't want to do it themselves, which I've learnt at the store I'm at, plenty of people would rather someone else do it for them.

But I'm talking more in the way of a place to hang out as well. We pretty much have the rest of it all worked out, but this place needs to be killer.

Like say... we'd have a big screen telly playing music DVD's all day... is there some sort of event we could have to attract people? What sort of things would make the place just generally awesome? Like... instead of standard chairs we could have brutal looking miniature thrones... have a life size Dio statue greeting customers... i don't know what we actually can and can't do, but what should we do?

 

[viewerfromnihil]

Free blowjobs, that oughta attract plenty of people.

 

[Xorv]

Hold concerts and have a room for cannabis burning.

 

[SlayingSarah]

lol. can i hire you, viewer_from_nihil, to give those blow jobs?

 

[SlayingSarah]

concerts isn't a bad idea... well obviously not concerts but in store appearances or signings... though i doubt anyone would want to do it until our store was really well known, and we'd need a large area and preferably a separate one, too much shit goes down security wise when that many people are in a store, we'd definitely need a separate area... if we had that though we could hold gig/concert after parties on occasion too. That would be pretty sweet.

 

[False Joe]

I'd make sure people would actually wanna come.

As srsbusness as it sounds, get some market research done. Would people in your area actually come to a metal/rock/punk coffee shop place? Do any of you have any idea how to set up a coffee shop? What equipment is required?
Would you get an alcohol license for after parties etc? There's a fuck load of stuff you need to work out before you work out if you need novelty throne chairs.
/srsbusness

 

[SlayingSarah]

well most of the serious business you speak of is what's already been thought of. I mean you can't just throw a place like that in anywhere... not only would you want a rsa, it'd need to be somewhere the counsel agrees on if it's going to be noisy, it'd have to be somewhere near public transport for the benefit of people like me who don't drive. lol. Currently I work in the largest music/ hi-fi store in our country, so i know what competition were up against, i also know how many people come to our store for metal in particular, last month we managed to have metal sales coming in a very close second to pop, which doesn't happen in many places. I know what standards we'd have to be able to beat, I know what suppliers they use and etc. But this place has to really stand out.

Think about the fun stuff, leave the seriousness to us

 

[False Joe]

Then on the fun stuff front, fuck coffee.
Make it a tea shop.
Tea fucking rules.

 

[SlayingSarah]

any particular type of tea? lol.

 

[False Joe]

Yes.
PG Tips.

You still have our queen on your money, therefore, your country is still british. Therefore a tea shop will do amazing.

 

[SentinelSlain]

You have to make sure the subculture is present in the numbers you would need it to be first.

If there isn't already a lot of places that metal bands play, stores etc in your area that might be because that demographic/subculture isn't very large in numbers there. I might be talking shit seeing as it's melbourne, but I have no idea how melbourne is, or how big it is. Maybe you live in the old timers side of town or something.

Fruit tea is win. Also sell ice cream, that's great. Do something like that so people get word that you sell something really nice (and not too expensive) and then you'll get randomers going in (and possibly propping up the business).

 

[SlayingSarah]

i like the ice cream idea! it's tops.
the area we're thinking of is pretty much perfect.
i was thinking of offering a clothing alteration service too, but that would probably appeal more to chicks who like me, if they want the best band shirts, need them taken in. But i saw on another thread before there were guys complaining that they can't sew, and so their patches on their jackets are crooked etc. would anyone pay (a small price) for that?

 

[False Joe]

I've seen guys who wanted to get their patches sewn on by someone who could actually see, ai.

But the main point is, does anyone around your area WEAR patch jackets? We ain't that useful, because we're all on different sides of the bloody planet

 

[SlayingSarah]

because we're all on different sides of the bloody planet

haha that's true, i still haven't found a decent Aussie metal forum. To be honest I haven't had a great look, but I kind of like the diversity here. They generally only wear them to gigs, there aren't too many who just wear them casually, but like i said that would be more aimed at the girls. Was just a thought that popped in my head.

more suggestions. fun things that'll make the place awesome. (without worrying about the business side of things, no need to be realistic)

 

[The Heartbreak Kid]

If you build it, they will come.

 

[King Richard]

I'd make sure people would actually wanna come.

As srsbusness as it sounds, get some market research done. Would people in your area actually come to a metal/rock/punk coffee shop place? Do any of you have any idea how to set up a coffee shop? What equipment is required?
Would you get an alcohol license for after parties etc? There's a fuck load of stuff you need to work out before you work out if you need novelty throne chairs.
/srsbusness

Holy shit, that was the most intelligent thing you've ever said.

Now to throw in my two cents; I think you're wasting your time. There isn't a large enough following of metalheads, let alone metalheads who will think it would be "fun" to go to a coffee shop and hang out. The only thing this metal coffee shop will attract is all of those hipster homos who listen to nothing but metalcore and shop at hot topic.

If I were you, I'd come up with some other idea.

 

[SentinelSlain]

Just sell fucking ice cream. Sex flavour.

 

[King Richard]

Yeah so Jage can finally lose his virginity.

zing!