Assignment 4A: Forming an
Opportunity Belief
I believe there is an unmet need in
the bar and nightlife industry in Gainesville, specifically in midtown. UF
students currently have the need for a new bar to go to in midtown, otherwise
people will continue to be discouraged from going out because of the long
lines. Anyone who has gone out in
midtown on a Friday or Saturday is aware of the long lines and waits at each of
the bars, especially after 10PM. During the beginning of the semester, it is
crowded almost every day of the week. For safety, each bar has a limit on how
many people can be inside. Because of this, many lines will be one in, one out,
which can sometimes take over an hour before you get inside the bar. JJ’s
Tavern is the most recent bar to attempt to meet this need and it has done very
well since it opened, but it has not helped with long lines. There is a large
building in midtown that is currently not in use, it’s located right next to
sushi chao and used to hold Cantini and Mochi. Both have been closed for around
2 years and the buildings have been sitting empty since then. I believe there
is an opportunity to open a new bar or even multiple ones in this building. Opening
a new bar or club, either 18+ or 21+, in this location would help decrease the
overcrowding in midtown and would have the opportunity to get a large amount of
business from students. I am 75% sure that this opportunity exists.
#1: College female under 21 years
old.
·
How
often do you go out in midtown?
o
Usually
around once a week. It depends on the time of the semester and how crowded I
think it’ll be.
·
Do
the lines in midtown ever prevent you from going out?
o
Yes,
especially because I am under 21. There are only a few places I can go and that
makes it even less appealing to go out.
·
When
did you realize how long lines took in midtown?
o
Freshman
year. Once I turned 18 and was able to go to some of the bars I saw how crowded
it would get over the weekend. And multiple times I experienced having to wait
in lines for over a half an hour.
·
Did
you think when JJ’s Tavern opened it helped with the lines and overcrowding?
o
Not
for the places I go to, because JJ’s is 21 and up it didn’t affect me directly.
·
Do
you think a new bar opening in midtown would make you more likely to go out?
o
It
really depends on if it is 18 and up. If it is I would probably go out more
often.
Reflection:
For anyone under 21 years old, the only new bar opening in midtown that would
affect them would be an 18+ bar. There is also probably an opportunity to open
an 18+ in midtown.
#2: College senior female over 21
years old.
·
How
often do you go out in midtown?
o
It
depends on the week, but usually around 2-3 times a week.
·
Do
the lines in midtown ever prevent you from going out?
o
They
usually don’t prevent me from going out. If I go out on the weekend I just know
that I need to get there early.
·
When
did you realize that you needed to go out earlier in order to avoid the lines?
o
Pretty
quickly after I turned 21. Waiting in lines ruins the night, so me and my
friends try to go out as early as we can.
·
Did
you think when JJ’s Tavern opened it helped with the lines and overcrowding?
o
I
think so. It still seems like the lines still get super long, but having
another popular bar in mid definitely gave people another place to go.
·
Do
you think a new bar opening in midtown would help with lines and make you go
out less early?
o
It
depends on the bar. If it was one that people liked going to and was popular
then I think it would help a little with lines. I would still go out early
either way.
·
Would
you care if the bar was 18+?
o
I
probably wouldn’t if it was 18 and up instead of 21 and up.
Reflection:
A new bar opening in midtown would have to continue to be popular after its initial
opening to really impact the overcrowding. And opening an 18+ bar would
probably not be popular with anyone who was 21 and older.
#3: Male midtown bouncer.
·
How
often do you work at midtown per week?
o
Typically
around 3-4 nights a week.
·
What
nights do you usually work?
o
I
always work Friday and Saturday nights. My weekday shifts change.
·
After
you became a bouncer in midtown, when did you realize how bad the lines got?
o
Immediately.
I started a few years ago at the beginning of Fall semester and the lines were
crazy during syllabus week and fluctuated throughout the semester. The weekend
is always bad.
·
Did
you think when JJ’s Tavern opening it helped with lines and overcrowding?
o
Initially
it took people away from the bar I work at. But it’s gone back to being about
the same as before JJ’s opened.
·
Do
you think a new bar opening in midtown would help with the lines?
o
Probably
not. It would have to really popular with students and even then I think the
popular bars will always have long lines. Maybe opening multiple new bars would
have an impact.
Reflection:
One new bar in midtown probably won’t completely solve the long lines and
overcrowding in midtown. Bouncers see midtown the most and understand the lines
at popular bars work.
Summary: I
think my opportunity is definitely still there, but it has changed some after
interviewing customers. I think for a new bar to open and be successful as a
business and to help with overcrowding it’ll have to target only a 21+
audience. It seems like anyone who is over 21 goes out more and this would most
likely be a more profitable decision. My original opportunity is also more
accurate now after interviewing multiple different people about their opinions
on the overcrowding at midtown. The bar would also have to set themselves up to
be a top choice to go to and put a large emphasis on marketing towards
students. I think entrepreneurs should adapt their opportunities up to a
certain extent after receiving customer feedback. Without speaking to potential
clients, you could completely miss the mark on what you’re trying to achieve.
But everyone is going to have different opinions, so it is important to also go
with your gut when getting mixed feedback.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI love the opportunity that you have. I would love to see a new bar maybe multiple new bars in midtown. I think that it will help a little and that is really all I would probably need to go out more than I do already. I think that this is an opportunity that could be exploited now and get a good crowd with the right mindset.
Hey, Alyssa!
ReplyDeleteI definitely sympathize with the overcrowded feeling and long lines that come with going out in midtown. I myself am over 21, and I still feel there's definitely an opportunity for this to change. I do remember the days when Cantina was still around and it definitely made midtown feel a lot less dense because the crowds were more spread out. It would definitely be a bit of a challenge to find a business in midtown that would stay for a considerable amount of time. I know maintaining a business in this city in general can be hit or miss too.
I thought your opportunity was an interesting idea. Another bar with help spread the people in the lines to go to the other bar to reduce the lines. Like one other comment said, there used to be Cantina but that closed down. I also appreciated how you interviewed a bouncer form midtown. That helped give insight from someone that works in the industry of the midtown area. It was also nice to see how the interviews reflected your idea on the opportunity belief but has not discouraged you. it just showed that one bar would not be enough to reduce lines.
ReplyDeleteHi Alyssa,
ReplyDeleteThis concept for an opportunity is great especially considering Gainesville is a college town and midtown is constantly capitalizing on student night life as the main form of entertainment. The long lines in midtown are consistent issues and have become extremely prevalent. I do think with the right marketing and space, the idea of a new 21+ bar would really help with the overcrowding of the currently popular bars in midtown. My friends and I often discuss that if a new bar/club with great marketing (theme nights, bogo deals, events, etc.) were to open in Midtown with adequate space, such as a two-story bar, it would really alleviate the issue of too many people in the few bars we currently have. Another hiccup to consider would be opening another bar the same size as the current ones (JJs, Fat Daddy's, etc.) as it probably wouldn't make much of a difference in your opportunity when viewing the grand scheme of an operation as the volume of people going out in general would increase but the amount of space wouldn't be able to make much of an impact. Great start to an idea that could really grow!
Hi Alyssa,
ReplyDeleteYour stance on the overcrowding is very strong, and I definitely agree with you that the bars get way too overcrowded and makes for a miserable experience for customers having to wait in line or having no space to move around in the bar. I think it is definitely possible to construct more bars in the area to eliminate those issues without negatively affecting the business in that area.