[FSPA] Testing the waters for possible PINCADE in Herndon

[Bob K Mertz]

I've always thought a hybrid would be ideal....  Have a small monthly membership to keep that legal specification and have a certain amount of steady income but still also have coin drop.....  Having a membership makes you want to use it more which would hopefully produce more coin drop while also helping prevent people hogging a free play machine like you see set magfest.

I personally couldn't see myself spending $30 a month to be a member but i could see myself spending $8 a month to be a member while dropping $30+ coin drops most months in addition to the $8..... It may not make sense logically but it's more than likely exactly what I would do.

On May 31, 2017 5:51:43 PM EDT, Paul Liam McGlone via FSPA <fspa at fspazone.org> wrote:
>The richmond pinball collective
><https://sites.google.com/view/richmondpinballcollective/home> opened
>this month, but it is members only, and it is $30/month, or discounted
>to $20 if you pay six months/ ($240/year) to be a member.   Check the
>Links below.    They can have 12 events per YEAR open to the public,
>but they are open to members 3 nights/week for a few hours.    Each
>member has a limited ability to bring $10 guests, up to 3 visits per
>year.   
>
>Similar ventures have taken off in Connecticut (Sanctum) Vermont
>(COOP), New Orleans (Church), and Florida (Asylum), and that is just
>the east coast!   
>
>http://www.tothesanctum.com/ <http://www.tothesanctum.com/>
>
>http://www.pinballcoop.com/faq.html
><http://www.pinballcoop.com/faq.html>
>
>https://www.facebook.com/Pinchurch/
><https://www.facebook.com/Pinchurch/>
>
>https://pinballasylum.com/ <https://pinballasylum.com/>
>
>Richmond Pinball Collective by Richmond Pinball Collective -
>Kickstarter
><https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/802314907/richmond-pinball-collective>
>https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/802314907/richmond-pinball-collective
><https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/802314907/richmond-pinball-collective>
><https://www.google.com/search?q=richmond+pinball+coop&oq=richmond+pinball+coop&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i64.13330j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#>
><https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:WW7L3gz34BAJ:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/802314907/richmond-pinball-collective+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us>Oct
>10, 2016 - Richmond Pinball Collective is raising funds for Richmond
>Pinball Collective on Kickstarter! We are creating Richmond's first and
>only ...
>Richmond Pinball Collective - Home | Facebook
><https://www.facebook.com/richmondpinballcollective/>
>https://www.facebook.com/richmondpinballcollective/
><https://www.facebook.com/richmondpinballcollective/>
><https://www.google.com/search?q=richmond+pinball+coop&oq=richmond+pinball+coop&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i64.13330j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#>
><https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:_i2oIbAA4W8J:https://www.facebook.com/richmondpinballcollective/+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us>Richmond
>Pinball Collective. 727 likes · 73 talking about this. Spreading the
>joy of pinball to the people.
>Pinball in Richmond: Co-ops, leagues, collectives, and ... - RVANews
><https://rvanews.com/entertainment/pinball-in-richmond-co-ops-leagues-collectives-and-podcasts-full-of-flipping-pinheads/134888>
>https://rvanews.com/entertainment/pinball-in-richmond-co-ops-leagues.../134888
><https://rvanews.com/entertainment/pinball-in-richmond-co-ops-leagues.../134888>
><https://www.google.com/search?q=richmond+pinball+coop&oq=richmond+pinball+coop&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i64.13330j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#>
><https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:wcaOxDzn8FAJ:https://rvanews.com/entertainment/pinball-in-richmond-co-ops-leagues-collectives-and-podcasts-full-of-flipping-pinheads/134888+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us>Mar
>2, 2016 - There are always a lot of new developments in Richmond, and
>some of them are arcade-game ... “Can you tell me about this pinball
>co-op?”.
>
>> On May 31, 2017, at 5:05 PM, Roland Joyal via FSPA <fspa at fspazone.org
><mailto:fspa at fspazone.org>> wrote:
>> 
>> Interesting, and yeah, its easy to open a store selling trinkets,
>some of the "special" other stuff is a nitemare, and no garauntees with
>permitting, etc.  Very risky with lots of time and money, hard to pull
>off ...all just in the hopes of breaking even ...not worth it unless u
>are out in a super, and i mean super low rent district..  And if it
>isn't in a semi convenient location with people feeling safe, etc, it
>doesn't work well.  Btw, i have had, and still have several Moose
>Lodges, Elk, and American Legions, they often change their mind every
>time a new board member comes in and has a "new" idea, which lasts
>until the members don't like it or another board member comes in, with
>no regard to your investment and time and effort.  
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: ethan via fspa <fspa at fspazone.org <mailto:fspa at fspazone.org>>
>> To: Roland Joyal via fspa <fspa at fspazone.org
><mailto:fspa at fspazone.org>>
>> Sent: Wed, May 31, 2017 3:09 pm
>> Subject: Re: Testing the waters for possible PINCADE in Herndon
>> 
>> 
>> A group in Richmond just spun something up and they're running
>something 
>> like a moose lodge. They're allowed to have 12 events a month I
>believe, 
>> which is enough to cover opening on a Fri/Sat night type schedule.
>They're 
>> allowed alcohol, maybe it's members only -- there is some way they're
>
>> doing it.
>> 
>> I had thought about trying to do something similar to what they're
>doing 
>> but would have to find at least 6,000 sqft warehousey but climate 
>> controlled space dirt cheap. And I don't think the business property 
>> market is there yet -- I mean, retail is dead but that doesn't mean 
>> landlords are going to admit their losses on paper by leasing at a
>really 
>> low rate. I had a 3,800 square foot hackerspace in Norfolk so have
>been 
>> through it all before -- dealing with the landlords and scoping
>spaces.
>> 
>> The other issue of course is permits. Not sure about here but when I 
>> looked at it in the Norfolk - Virginia Beach area there was a special
>use 
>> permit needed (90 days lead time) for recreation hall, and for live
>music 
>> (that includes DJs.) Going the museum route gets around the coin drop
>
>> issues, including cost + mechanical + theft and keeps "non-interested
>
>> parties" from hanging around due to entrance fee.
>> 
>> Loudon County needs a computer history / video game museum :-)
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> > Running a bar in VA is usually an, eventually, losing proposition
>unless 
>> > you are one of the rare lucky ones. Some of my favorite 
>> > bars/restaurants have gone out of business after hemmoraging money
>for 
>> > years. And I have had many commercial bar as accounts over the
>years in 
>> > business and I hear all about their wows and their lack of income
>at the 
>> > end of the balance sheet. I know a bit about the business from 
>> > listening to all of them, as that was originally the idea many
>years 
>> > ago, but the bar/restaurant business has only gotten worse. Even
>the 
>> > properly run places tend not to do that well, there are many
>factors 
>> > that contribute to that. And you have to deal with all the ABC and 
>> > license and health inspector issues, I don't want to get into all
>that 
>> > hassle, and the tremendous expense of a bar restaurant. Even with a
>
>> > Bachelor of Science in Business Management, I'm smart enough to
>know 
>> > that if i don't know what I am doing in that particular area of 
>> > business, that I should not have any dillusions that I do. -Roland
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: Stephen Jonke via fspa <fspa at fspazone.org
><mailto:fspa at fspazone.org>>
>> > To: FSPA Mailing List List <fspa at fspazone.org
><mailto:fspa at fspazone.org>>
>> > Sent: Wed, May 31, 2017 11:52 am
>> > Subject: Re: Testing the waters for possible PINCADE in Herndon
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > I'm not near enough, but I do have one question. Why not a barcade?
>Craft beer+pinball will always get a visit from me!
>> >
>> >
>> > On Wed, May 31, 2017 at 11:39 AM, Roland Joyal via fspa
><fspa at fspazone.org <mailto:fspa at fspazone.org>> wrote:
>> >
>> > Matt, can you send me an email to my personal email address, so I
>can contact everybody in a separate list? My address is JoyalRJ
>@aol.com <http://aol.com/>. Thanks for your support to pinball! -Roland
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: Roland Joyal via fspa <fspa at fspazone.org
><mailto:fspa at fspazone.org>>
>> > To: fspa <fspa at fspazone.org <mailto:fspa at fspazone.org>>
>> >
>> > Sent: Wed, May 31, 2017 11:35 am
>> > Subject: Re: Testing the waters for possible PINCADE in Herndon
>> >
>> >
>> > Thanks Matt, appreciate it, and being in Reston definitely helps.
>And yes, bringing in Avatar, and, by next week GB should be great.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: Matt Burke via fspa <fspa at fspazone.org
><mailto:fspa at fspazone.org>>
>> > To: fspa <fspa at fspazone.org <mailto:fspa at fspazone.org>>
>> > Sent: Tue, May 30, 2017 7:43 pm
>> > Subject: RE: Testing the waters for possible PINCADE in Herndon
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > HI Roland,
>> >
>> > As I live in Reston I support the idea and could almost definitely
>“man” the location at least 1 or 2 days a week.
>> >
>> > Keep me updated and thanks for the new machines @ Mighty Mikes!
>> >
>> > Thanks,
>> >
>> > Matt
>> >
>> > Sent from Mail for Windows 10
>> >
>> >
>> > From: Roland Joyal via fspa
>> > Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2017 3:06 PM
>> > To: fspa at fspazone.org <mailto:fspa at fspazone.org>
>> > Subject: Testing the waters for possible PINCADE in Herndon
>> >
>> >
>> > Hey all, hope everyone had a good long weekend. As a couple of you
>know, I had a huge effort last year to open a Pincade in Reston, having
>a proposal on a small, but expensive $200k+ space. After all the
>research and work, contract review, and meetings with county officials,
>it was all thwarted and rejected ultimately by a conservative panel of
>merchants that thought pinball is "bad" and attracts the wrong crowd. I
>can't begin to tell you how much thought, planning, and ultimately
>incredible disappointment this project entailed ...I will go more into
>the details at some point in the future because some of you might find
>it interesting/sad.
>> >
>> > So moving on ....I have a tentative plan for another Pincade (not
>to be confused with a Barcade or place that serves drink/food) operated
>by a pinball enthusiast/reconditioner for pinball enthusiasts, and I am
>in negotiations for a space in Herndon, near the Toll road. As any
>reasonable businessman knows, pinball arcades (other than niche markets
>where pinball is secondary to the main business) is a non-starter and a
>big loss commercially. Having said that, in an effort to "only" take a
>small recurring loss, which I am willing to do for pinball, I would
>need volunteers to man the place on a regular or semi-regular basis. So
>I am just testing the waters to see if there is any interest from
>anyone and how much help they can lend.
>> >
>> > The "payback" to those volunteers would be all the pinball they can
>pl
-- 
Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
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