Could PG support one?

[Dennis]

Bike shop and caf??  I was looking at the BC Classic Motorcycle Club's forum and found this thread. 

http://www.bcclassicmotorcycleclub.com/simplemachines/index.php?topic=4177.0

Peace & Greasy Spoon, Dennis

[Hans]

Two brothers of a friend of mine have been trying to start a similar outfit up called Wide Open Throttle on Main Street in Vancouver.  They have been working at it for over a year, the city was decidedly unhelpful, thinking at first that they had some gang affiliation.  The one brother rides an old BMW, so, maybe.....  They went through permitting hell, had ordered a bunch of merchandise on the idea that they would be open inside of a couple months of signing the lease on the building.  That was last April. Getting the building permits took until December.  They are hoping for May.

[Rusty Bucket]

  I'll bet just about all of us know a bike-themed restaurant/bar/coffee shop that didn't make it, just as the thread states.  I always sort of worried that the better a shop was at attracting riders, the worse the profit potential might be... because the guys I know (you know who you are) hanging out at the Second Cup at Parkwood, for example, stay a long time, but don't buy much.  No better money to be made from me, though, as in spite of being a regular customer (yes, to the point of monotony) at the donut shop at Princess Auto - what keeps me coming back is I can get my lunch there for less than $3, which doesn't leave much margin.  There is a place on Commercial  in Vancouver that does attract a fair number of Italian bikes on summer evenings, and a few years back, the very, very, tiny White Spot off Robson filled the full block in front with motorcycles on any decent afternoon or evening... I don't know if that state of affairs is still going on.
  If the coffee costs enough, maybe a place like that could operate here - during what passes for the season.  But then winter comes...  an alternate plan attracting different customers, or keeping the same ones coming, would have to be in effect.

  It's a pleasant idea, and in some rarefied ecosystems, like Los Angeles, where the Candy Store and The Rock Store attract hundreds of bikes on weekday afternoons, I'm sure there is some (sufficient) money to be made in catering to this clientele. 

[stevecrout]

I suppose there's a number of ways to lose the family farm but I can't think of a better one than to try a 'for profit' theme caf?.  It starts out as a great idea but when we take a minute and do the math it looks less and less like a winner.    Take the number of patrons you'd normally expect to be interested in a place that caters to one small segment of an already small population then ask how many times a week they'll usually drop cash on a meal. The turnover rates are everything. Right next to the fixed costs of starting and maintaining the joint. Mathematics once again.
It's like those people we all know who have been told by friends and family "you're real good at this hobby, why don't you  open a shop?"

On the other hand, how nice would it be to have a shop rented in the area with some places to work, sit, BS and toss a buck in a pot for drinks? But I'm sure the city licensing boys would have something to say about it.

Kaziff -  how about if we all pitch in and extend your shop to include a food and seating area?   

[Qball]

The only way I see it being profitable, is if they are a great cafe that can attract people other than bikers.  The bike theme would seemingly need to be softened.  You need to be able to attract the soccer moms , yuppies and coffee snobs who want an expensive coffee.  you need to brand yourself to those people and subtly sneak in the bikes.  (convert the non believers without them knowing).  As we all know the bike theme scares off so many people.  I am pretty sure a biker cafe in the north would not be a long term sustainable bussiness.
I am however personally looking at opening a cefe in terrace that will be Biker friendly (diferent than a biker cafe).  We just dont have the population to support the ACE cafe .  I will keep everyone posted if I get it off the ground here.  Maybe a long weekend ride destination?  camping and music out at my property?  This would not likely be in place untill next year (if I can get it going at all).  I am still in very early days and trying to secure my financing still.

[Hans]

Hey QBall, our family looked very briefly into purchasing a coffee shop in Terrace about 15 years ago.  Then we did the math and got scared.  This is not to dissuade you by any stretch, just make sure the numbers add up, have a great business plan for starting up and moving forwards, and hell yeah, a ride out to Terrace would be cool next summer

[Dennis]

I miss the Columbus Hotel.  It was a true biker bar (not a coffee shop for Hipsters); cheap draft beer, C circuit strippers, motorcycle pictures, and bike only parking.  Loved that place.  I wish some other sleazy bar would take up the calling, but most the "biker" crowd now want lattes, cappuccinos and imported beer.

Peace & Grease, Dennis

[Qball]

Slack Alices and the Willow were classics when I was younger in the Okanagan.  as was the Totem bar in Peachland.  True biker bar hangouts back in the day.  There used to be a couple dives in PG too but the names escape me.  I think that no one can afford to go out for beer anymore.  at 5-8$ for a darn beer.  Like denis mentioned, its all fancy imports and cappaccinos.

[Rusty Bucket]

  Since this is a little more than idle speculation for some of us;  I saw one of those 'bar/restaurant rescue' things on tv that dealt with a once profitable-but-now-failing bar and lounge in LA - where the industry expert comes in and tells you how you are screwing up your business and what to do about it.  Not being in the business, this is pretty remote stuff for me, of course, but I remember his team's reaction just standing outside the place for the first time; there were bikes there, natch, and the team was quoting industry statistics about marketing and where customer bases come from to each other, and there was some discussion of the idea that if there were 3 motorcycles out front, 50% of women over 30 would not go in, and if there were 6 motorcycles, the figure rose to almost 90% and so on... the specifics are way beyond my recollection, but the theme was definitely one suggesting anything you did to encourage motorcycles to be on the premises was discouraging more and better customers.  The team thought that was bad business practice.

Which is why, I guess, biker bars are (were, here) the thing - because there the biker is the played-for-and-got best possible customer.

[2wheelsmotorcycle]

the "Ace Caf? "  downtown Prince George     hhhhmmmmm

[madmac74]

 interesting  Russ , i've also seen this show you speak of...... but I wonder if A&W is suffering from OTHER business  on our some times BIG tuesday turnouts?  I guess there's no where to park..... But its cool to shoot the breez with a total stranger, in a parking lot surrounded by yer Mates also doing the same thing. now , will he go buy a teen burger Combo 

Mac

[Dennis]

interesting  Russ , i've also seen this show you speak of...... but I wonder if A&W is suffering from OTHER business  on our some times BIG tuesday turnouts?  I guess there's no where to park..... But its cool to shoot the breez with a total stranger, in a parking lot surrounded by yer Mates also doing the same thing. now , will he go buy a teen burger Combo 

Mac

Last year I had cause to have some email exchanges with the A&W head office folks.  A&W actually does have a corporate strategy of sticking with its old drive in roots.  They encourage car clubs and meetings.  They don't screw around much with their "family" burger menu despite other trends.  They seem to be doing okay with their business model.  I don't think they'd bring in C circuit strippers though. Damn I miss the Columbus.

Peace & Grease, Dennis

[Rusty Bucket]

  I sent my buddy Brian to check out Wheelies since it is right in his neighbourhood - haven't heard back yet.  His interest is almost exclusively in XT/TT 500's, so it is hard to predict what his reaction might be;  it would be quite the feat if they managed to cater somehow to such a vanishingly narrow segment as his...  if he's not taken with the place, I wouldn't hold it against their efforts/model.
 
  As to whether we actually discourage customers at the A+W in season, it would probably be more accurate to say we obstruct them - the club is probably a saw-off in attracting/repellling customers for the most part.