teen thoughts

[chad6er]

DaleJ, (or anyone else who has some input)
In the Post 'good club videos' you mentioned that you had a group of volunteer teens that had many good ideas for your teen club, including...


As far as the projector idea goes, it was agreed by ALL female teens in the group that a BIG projector would be distracting for the MALES at the club. <snip>

These girls had some great thoughts/ideas on a variety of subjects. I'm going with their suggestion for smaller TVs.

Great idea to get their input. How did you go about recruting them? Or were they friends/family? How many were involved?

Can you mention any other good ideas they had? Were there any that stuck out in your mind more than others?

Thanks for the ideas. Getting teen input is definitely something I will try when the time comes.

[djhush]

you need to have an oral survery. We printed out a survey and have someone on our promotion staff(ussualy a teen) read the questions to a custmer, oral questions tend to get better responses. Then in return for helping us out we give them a free pass.

[themusicman]

If one of your local high schools or colleges doesnt mind, put surveys on their windshields during school hours. You get exposure and your survey gets out.

[djhush]

99.9% of high schools HATE that. I have actually had charges pressed against me for passing out stuff on cars. Why? because the school ends up having to clean it up, and often the school sees teen clubs as a "bad" place, when they fail to realize that we offer the students a great place to have fun AND BE SAFE.

Best bet: meet with the school newspaper ussualy for 100$ they will insert whatever you want, have your survey inserted, but im telling you the best way is to do it orally in the club, written ones you will get a low, honest, amount of responses because people will just joke around on them

[chad6er]

Good point djhush. However, I haven't started the teen club yet and was wanting to get some input beforehand to make it right from the start. I was also looking for indicators that a teen club would be viable in my town. I'm still not convinced that it will work. So I wanted to see how the teens would feel about it. I figured I'd ask questions like:

What is this town lacking for people your age?

What kind of place would you like to see in this town?

Where do you currently go for entertainment?

Opened ended questions like that. Many teens that I have asked, say they spend their time hanging out with their friends and drinking. Would they still come to a club to hang out with their friends if they then couldn't drink?

So many questions, So little text space.

I dont suppose anyone reading this is near me and wants to co-own, manage, whatever a teen club?

thanks.

[djhush]

i am in detroit MI, if the pay was worthwhile i would do the drive on the weekends.

You have much to learn! approx 30-40% of your clientell will show up drunk. You need a lax door that will allow patrons in drunk, or else your club will flop. Thats allways how it goes, teens drink in the parking lot and try to sneak by security.

As far as the survery, summer is coming your better off doing them in person w\ the movie theater. Talk to your local theater manager see if you can setup a table and in return maybe give the movie theater some VIP passes to your club, and offer the patrons a VIP invite to your opening night

what is the populs to your city?

Mainley the key lies in a good promtons sense, and a cool image, its very hard to market a teen club. I feel i do a pretty good job, last saturday we pulled 700 people in our 10,000 sq foot facility.

[chad6er]

That would be great if you could give me some pointers djhush. I will keep you in mind if I get to the point where I will actually be doing solid planning. Right now I just need to do the market research.

Your right, I do have much to learn. The more I learn the more I realize how much I dont know. Scary. Not to mention the lack of any nightclub or business experience. This all started when I noticed that all the teens in my growning comunity had nothing to do. City population is about 17,000 and about 35,000 countywide, with 3000 being 16-24 age range. Some teens drive 45 min or more to get to the nearest clubs (only two that I know of) in Fort Wayne.
I'm beginning to realize the importance of having a partner to help with the things I cant do on my own.

Thank God for this bulletin!

Thanks.

[Dale J]

Hey Chad6er....

I've had difficulty the past few days trying to post...still don't know what happened.....but I'm here now...

Anyway, here's the scoop on my teen group....

It started with a friend (former nightclub manager turned security system specialist) and his daughter Jill (15 yrs old). I started asking her questions about what she thought of a teen nightclub in our city...she told some friends at school...who told other friends.....next thing I know I have opinions coming from Jill that her friends passed along. Well, a meeting HAD to happen when I realized that I had some significant interest from a growing group. At the first meeting I let the teens know what was planned and asked for some general comments (this first meeting was supposed to last only an hour just to intro myself to the group and give them a face to direct their comments to)...WELL......it lasted 3 hours and I knew that I had a really good group to work with.

Our second meeting was even more productive. We did a pizza party and I got to know the teens a little better. Lots of laughs and even more ideas. One drawback to my group was that not one had ever seen a teen club before (I'm the first to try this in my city). The only experience the teens have to draw on is their high school dances.

The teens come from a variety of backgrounds from the affluent families down to the paycheck-to-paycheck kind. Some are "social butterflies", some are "social outcasts", but all have an interest in getting this club started.

Anyway, we're ready to do our third meeting soon...I'll be asking for some clarity on many of they're previous ideas now that they've had some time to think on some past questions.

I'm confident I'm on the right track with these kids. I was even approached by a friend/parent while I was in the Motor Vehicles Branch the day before yesterday. She asked when the club was going to officially open as her son can't wait to get in there. :-) ... I must say I've actually tried to keep the club a bit of a secret until I have the building...(coming soon) ...Well, that parent knows me and isn't shy about speaking....so the entire line (including about 10 teens that had that look of horror as if they were about to write the drivers exam for the first time) in the Motor Vehicles place was WELL AWARE of the clubs future existence. At this rate I won't need to advertise via radio, flyers, TV or newspaper. :-)

So anyway, that's my teen group. I promised that anyone in the group that had good ideas would get a lifetime VIP pass (no cover). "Good ideas" meant that they actually had things to contribute other than "that should be yellow", "we should have music" or "we should do it on the weekend" kind of things......

I will do another post that is more specific to the teens thoughts about the club including their views on ....
- cover charge
- foods/drinks
- music styles
- DJ's
- the controversial "projector issue" as seen in another topic here in the forum
- security
- advertising
- operating times
- "other entertainment" such as UV paint, bubbles, smoke machines and foam parties

....and a lot more as I hear from them in the future.

I would most certainly appreciate views, opposing or supporting, of the views that the teens have in these and other issues. I will make sure to include as much as I can for those of you who are interested in knowing as much as you can, even if it comes from conservative Canadian teens that have little to none for experience with the teen club atmosphere. Then again, fresh eyes can give a new look on old ideas. :-) ....


Again, Chad6er, sorry for taking so long to post....I'm not sure why I couldn't post for the past few days, but look forward to hearing from you and the other teen club people here on the forum.

Dale

[chad6er]

Good post. Thanks for the reply. Sounds like you have a good source of information; the teens themselves. I cant wait to hear what other good things you've found out.

Live Well.

[Dale J]

Okay, as promised, here are some of the ideas and thoughts from my teen group. Some issues regarding the club have not been discussed as they have already been decided on by myself (lights, sound and minor operations things).

---COVER CHARGE
The teens expressed some concern to this as they didn't want it to be really expensive. Teens made suggestions for the price of the cover. Some ideas were $4, $5 and $6 (CDN). I reminded them that many of the school dances are priced at $7.00 and the dances (although providing a video screen and music) lacked many of the amenities that were going to be offered in the club (lights, etc). There was some initial reluctance but they did finally agree that it was fair and was still a good price for entertainment considering that a ticket to the movies for 2 hours is $7.50 and a popcorn/pop is an extra $5.50 (more expensive than the proposed prices for eats at the club). After some more discussion on the aspect of keeping out those that might want to cause trouble, the $7.00 looked pretty good as "the unwanteds" (troublemakers) would be more hesitant on paying the money to know that they might be getting their tail kicked out in less than an hour.

---SECURITY
The teens were not aware of the problems facing many teen clubs in the USA. The schools they go to have minimal security measures (no security other than teachers and one main entrance during mornings and lunches...generally still pretty lax although a bit tougher than when I went to school...). They weren't stupid kids, they just weren't aware of the level of danger that they may face outside of a school function. This turned into a discussion about drugs, alcohol, weapons and general unruliness.
The teens liked the idea of metal detectors and coat checks (to be mentioned later in this post). They were concerned that there would be guys going through their purses and such [see the coat check point for more on the purse issue).
They also wondered about ID checks as some schools here don't offer school ID's (strange but true). It was decided that some form of ID issued by the club was a good idea.
They agreed that the security personnel should have a good attitude, be friendly and don't make people wait outside in the rain and such (generally be efficient at moving people through the lineup unlike some school functions that are slow to move people as they charge at the door). They were very concerned about security that would have an "attitude" (I guess some teachers are a little heavy handed in their attempts to maintain a level of order). There was total agreement in "removal from the club" for fighting, alcohol and drugs(really a "non-issue" as thats "the rule", but it was discussed).
They accepted the fact that, no matter how much security you have, some guy/girl will be able to get drugs into the club (underwear, etc.) and that security can only go so far before the Police have to be called. There was another chat about drugs and alcohol as it relates to leaving drinks unattended. Still under discussion with the teens, I may post a special page on the club website that specifically deals with "club drugs" and how to stay safe.
Agreed by the teens when mentioned, was the idea of a re-admission charge. They were concerned about the idea if one of their parents wanted to speak to them for a moment or something equally minor. It was decided that the charge could be waived for teens that stayed in a location where the security could monitor the teen. If the teen was out-of-clear-eyesight of the security it would be a re-admission charge. This still needs to be worked out, but some good headway was made.
The teens wanted a CLEAR ability to identify security so that they had a "safe out" if they felt they needed help. A uniform of some sort was suggested. I think that a standard "Men In Black" image should be adequate as a uniform....others opinions are appreciated.
The teens also were concerned that security would "hover" like a parent. They wanted to be able to "express" themselves without feeling like their Mom or Dad was watching (this was funny as there were adults in the room when this was said. The poor girl was having to back-step when she was asked to explain what she meant by "expressed". I had to laugh as she dug a small hole for herself). Anyway, "expressed" meant "a kiss or two"... This lead to the question "Will there be like sex and stuff in the club?"... HAHA ..... I simply stated "a kiss is a kiss!...What does your school allow?!?!"..... the teens seemed happy that there was going to be some control over this aspect....although I mentioned that kissing wouldn't generally be a security issue unless it appeared as more than just a simple form of affection. :-)
What a group!! :-)

---COAT CHECK
The exact methods relating to this are to be decided, but as a security issue, nobody would be allowed to bring a coat/jacket, bags or other "extra" items past the front door. Lockers (mentioned in another post on the forum) was one method of dealing with the issue.
The purse thing could go one of two ways. A search by security or "coat check" it with an adult that would have to be present to view any items that the girl might take out during the night. The idea of a coat check had disadvantages as someone might lose the ticket stub and someone else claims the items when the ticket is picked up off the floor. The teens had mixed views about the exact method to deal with the coat/purse issue. In general, they agreed that it needed to be addressed and the adults were left to work out the details.
I have a solution for this. Most of the club will be computerized and the Security/ID computers will have photos on them. The coat check people might be required to get an ID number to pull up a photo before items, also marked with the ID number, are released. This means one extra computer for coat check. A P133 would be more than adequate to do the job. :-) I'm generally very happy with this form of coat check. Probably to charge for the service to discourage people from bringing unneccessary items into the club, but still to be decided.

---DRESS CODE
YES! The teens liked the idea....but what was acceptable?
"NO hats, muscle shirts, gang wear, ripped or torn T-shirts or jeans, dirty clothing, work clothing and NO offensive clothing(clothing displaying any type of profanity or other content deemed objectionable). "
The teens were happy with this. They DID shoot down 2 ideas though. 1) Jerseys....the girls wanted to allow jerseys for the boys. The only rule, the jerseys HAD to be from one of the local school sports teams and if trouble were to erupt from a school sports team, the entire team would be ejected from the club and banned from wearing their jerseys again at the club in the future.....and finally, the school would be called to inform them of the conduct that their players exhibited "as a team". This seems to be agreed upon as a method to control a potential problem. 2) Sweatpants and shirts...the girls wear a lot of that stuff here in Canada and it is considered to be fashionable....many wear their school logos on them.
In general, this seemed like a security nightmare to me, but the teens don't feel that there would be a rivalry as might be found in some US clubs. I'm not totally convinced but have agreed to allow it as long as it doesn't present any additional trouble to the club. If a rivalry seems to take hold in the club, the jerseys and sweatpants will be on the NO list. The teens agreed that was acceptable.
On the website, I outlined this. The general statement is... "Dress to impress... don't be a mess!" and "Remember this is a great looking club that has spent thousands of dollars in the décor, and you want to look your best inside of it. You’ll never know who you're going to meet!"
The teens have no complaints about looking their best. :-)

---FOODS/DRINKS
The exact menu is still being worked on. The teens had these ideas for "snacks".
- Hot Dogs
- Ice Cream
- Fruit drinks
- Soda
- Water (they wanted bottled versus tapped....they like the "purified" water compared to the city water) ...bend my rubber arm! :-)
- Popcorn
- Candy
- Chocolate Bars
- Specialty(frilly)/Virgin drinks
- Pizza

Nothing is yet rock solid on the Food/Drink issue....I'd be interested to hear others menu ideas....

---MUSIC STYLES
"What kind of music should the DJ play?"....they replied right away as a unified team..."NO COUNTRY!" .....haha ... Well, I don't know about others in the forum, but I have DJ'd some school dances in the past year. I got requests for country music. As in other events, you can't please 100% of the people 100% of the time. To make a long story short....I give up!! They also didn't like RAP. They liked Hip-hop, rock, techno, dance and some moldy oldies. Having said that, when I asked them if they wanted something like Eminem "Without Me"...they said "YES...that's okay!"...When I asked about line dance songs like "Cadillac Ranch"..thay said they wanted that too.....
So, having ripped some of my hair out during that discussion, it was finally agreed that the DJ would be responsible for that headache....
Once I find a good DJ for the club, I'll have a better idea of how to approach this.
The (female) teens voted that the DJ should be older than 20 years but younger than 30 years(Hmmmm... "Eye Candy!" )....The others (males) said they didn't care about the age of the DJ as long as the music was good.
Regarding the music volume, the teens wanted music that was loud enough to enjoy but soft enough to talk to their friends....HAHAHAHAHAHA...okay....next topic...

---ADVERTISING
I was so impressed with their ideas. Radio, newspapers, TV (local station of course), transit buses, and flyers were the generic list. They also mentioned posters in the schools (advertising in Alberta schools is a VERY touchy topic. I assume that's the same almost everywhere...after all, If I was the Nike President, I'd be putting huge wall murals in all the schools if I had my way). There were some additional ideas but aren't worth the bytes I'd use to mention them. The big thing that the teens mentioned was the varied sources of info that meet them. Teens read newspapers!?!?! ...HAHAHaha.. ha.... ha...... ha .... ahem ...... sorry!.... I guess there are a lot more teens interested in current events than adults believe.
In general, the teens feel that word-of-mouth will be the biggest tool to use for advertising. They felt that the teen club will generate it's own advertising by doing what it's supposed to do., which is ENTERTAIN. They said that they listen to radio quite a bit, watch TV somewhat, see transit buses drive by the schools every 15 minutes and read newspapers that their parents buy. Flyers are a more specific type of advertising. Put them in the newspapers (generally expensive), hand them out at school (possibly, it couldn't be a formal handout..it'd have to be a cloak and dagger sort of handoff....friends to friends...but then it's like word of mouth),
I think that word of mouth is THE best tool for adverts, but it doesn't hurt to try to focus adverts using other means....I could use some advice as to what others are using and what kind of advert seems to bring in the greatest returns during promotions.

---OPERATING TIMES
Generally, the teens and parents are happy with 7:00pm to 1:00am. The schools here shut dances down at 11:00pm or midnight so the teens really liked the 1:00am thing. With the parents present, 1:00am was an acceptable time as long as the teens were IN the club, not roaming the streets. Of course, the club can't control when the teens leave, but the parents were happy with the notion "my teens will be where they say they'll be" ....
Many parents are willing to pick their teens up at the end of the night....even at 1:00am...

---UV PAINT/BUBBLES/SMOKE/ETC
It was a PARENT that came up with the idea for the "UV Paint-hit the drums-make a big splashing mess" thing ....I remember the "Blue Man Group" (Luxor Las Vegas) doing something like that. I considered it to be too much mess, but it did spark some interest in the teens. We'll be looking at that in the near future.
Bubbles was another Parent idea...the teens thought it sounded cool.....I'm looking at buying a bubble machine.
Smoke (fog)...the teens didn't like the "scented" fog idea...they wanted fog, but didn't think that the scented was a good idea as it might drown out the perfume/cologne used by individual teens. The other complaint was that they didn't want fog ALL NIGHT....they like the idea of some now and then, but not the whole night....they want to be able to see who's with who and so on.....:-) .....
Foam Parties were a last thought I offered.....they didn't know what it was...I explained it.... they were kind-of interested in the idea, but the drawback is that in Alberta, it can get cold at night, especially in January.....I'm not so sure I want to send a teen home soaking wet at -40C(that equals -40F) ... the summers are pretty good here...
Anyone with thoughts on the soaking wet thing would help me out greatly.

---THE PROJECTOR ISSUE
Huge projection videos!! ...as mentioned in another post, the female teens were against the idea of large screens. The reasoning was that the teen boys would be more interested in watching the screen than dancing. OKAY, OKAY, OKAY!!! ...I know, as was mentioned...short skirts, tiny tops, raging hornymones....who needs TV?!?! ...
Well, the female teens agreed, the last dance at school had a projector showing music videos. The girls had difficulty getting asked for dances by many guys because the guys were mesmerized by the video screen. These girls are pretty girls that shouldn't have ANY difficulty finding a person to dance with. They noticed a total change in the behavior of the male teens.
I'm not saying that the projector is a bad idea, but it seems that it IS possible that there would be at least a slight difference in the dance/sitting ratio if the girls noticed such a change at their dance.
Yes, I agree with another post, I think by David, it gives the aukward and shy (I was that group) something to do while they are dancing. I haven't totally abandoned the projector screen idea, just put it on hold until I can work out the dynamics of what I've been told by these teens.
The (female) teens like the idea of music videos on smaller TV's. They would like to see music videos a part of the club.
Perhaps the females prefer 100% of the attention on themselves versus a small male group being distracted by some Music Video star like Kylie Minogue with that have naked white suit she wore in "can't get you outta my head" or the grey, skin tight "Borg" suit she wore during the Fever 2002 tour that was filmed in Manchester....(MERCY!)
I think this topic has been hashed out enough, but, you wanted to know and I told you....




Anyway, this is quite a book! Hope it offered some interesting info. Keep in mind that this is a group of teens from Alberta, Canada and not Los Angeles or New York. Some may find this info useful and some may consider it worthless. I posted it to be fair to all those that have given me good advice and ideas. My group is dedicated to a 14-18 age range...People with the "under 21" crowd will most likely have other opinions


One interesting note on my group of teens...They were hoping I would be able to have a strobe light or a mirror ball in the club to add to the effect of the music....HAHAHA....they're my group and they are a great bunch but no matter how many times I tell them, they can't fathom that I've got a very large lightshow planned. That'll be worth something come time for the word-of-mouth advertising. :-)

I will post other stuff as it comes available in the future. Thanks to all that have something constructive/useful to offer the forum.

I feel like Tom Clancy!


Dale

[Baudtender]

Dale J - all I can say is WOW - you really did your homework!

You know, I've also been wrestling with the idea of the coat
check ticket, VIP card, express-entrance card being stolen
problem.

I think the writing on the wall is towards biometric identification,
with standard backups in case of questionable ID results. Do a
websearch at Google search for a company called "DigitalPersona"
and check out their "U.are.U" product for an example (this one
uses fingerprints - there are other methods including eye
scanners and voice-printing.) I particularly am drawn to this
company and product because of the low unit-cost for end-users,
as well as its very tiny ratio of "false-positive" identifications.
Compared to how often we contend with convincing ID-swappers
and technologically sophisticated false hardcopy ID's, the false-
positive rates are pretty much a non-issue.

Not to mention that such a device would provide ID confirmation
no matter how often or radically the customer cuts/dyes their
hair, changes other facial features, or even when they are
completely masked by halloween or other face-covering masks or
custumes.

False-negatives we don't worry about, because rules would state
that in such a case, they'll have to hoof it out to their car and
grab their traditional hardcopy ID.

Of course, there are privacy concerns that must be addressed
when using something like this that easily lends itself to customer
habit building data. In an adult club, I can imagine that customers
might not be too comfortable with a subpoeniable database
recording who they arrived with, how much and what drank (or
at least bought) and what times they arrived and left.

While many ID-checking systems on the market now are
promoting their customer-database capabilities, I believe that
the abuse of this "feature" can have just as devastating an
effect when abused as a half-dozen highly visible moving cameras
over the bar that obviously follow a person's every move. I've
seen in person the installation of a big camera one-way mirror
dome in the center of the bar ceiling destroy the customer base
within a week.

What's particularly attractive about such a scheme for the teen
market is that they may not have legal or useful ID that proves
their age and/or identity, but it's beyond their sophistication
and means to forge biometric identification. A teen club might
offer a program after school or on weekends during off-hours (to
avoid that horrific possibility that they'll be seen by peers
consorting with parents that actually care about them) that a
parent can come in with the child and (providing their own legal
ID and ability to do so under penalty of fraud) establish the
child's age and identity, and set conditions they warrant for the
child to attend your venue and other pertinent information that
enhances your support from the adult community (e.g. this child
is not to leave the building under any circumstances without
approved persons picking them up, parental contact numbers in
case of emergency or... or... ummm... other problems they may
get into, notification of no-trespassing if they're booted so they
can't use your club as an excuse of where they were, etc.) So, in
a teen venue, they might ID on exit as well as on entrance, if
you follow me.

As far as your menu is concerned, I think I would be motivated
to not just serve the average "skating-rink" food, but rather to
consider this a great opportunity to employ unconventional
creativity and tactics. The worst thing you can do, when
marketing to any particular group of people, is to consider them
unsophisticated or an "easy sell." And man, I don't care if you're
talking about 3-year olds, 15 year-olds, 25 year-olds, or 50-year
olds, or 150-year olds. Whatever market you choose, you
endeavor to own and extend and redefine.

Here's why. Doing anything that attracts people, even for a short
amount of time, broadcasts and validates the sense that you
have exposed a ripe market in the minds of other people. People
who get into the hospitality business have the annoying quirk of
valuing profit over creativity, and the easiest way to achieve
profit without forethought, so conventional thinking goes, is
to emulate "what works" with a few minor twists thrown into
the salad. If you haven't created, rather than just exploited, a
new and unique market, then it's just a matter a time before the
next bonehead comes along, duplicates the easy part of what
you do, and gives it all away just to own your crowd.

My expected batch of thread-wrecking uncomposed random
thoughts:

1) You hit a nerve with the bottled water sales, now follow up
and private label them. There's a company called Captain Foods
out of Edgewater, FL (do a Google search on - oh, Hell,
captainredbeard.com - cause it took me the best part of an hour
to track them down) that specializes in private label items like hot
sauce and bottled spring water that is very reasonable for small-
upfront orders (i.e. you ain't Krogers ordering 6 gazillion cases.)
And hope like hell they didn't see, or paid no attention to the
recent episode of Penn & Teller's "Bullshit" show.

2) Packaging and presentation should be given a high priority.
Don't just throw a batch of french fries into a bag or onto a
plate, e.g. use the colored Heinz ketchups as chefs use coulis to
make every item on your menu present itself as if you really
aren't dealing with second-class citizens. There's a company
that makes a press that turns a ball of (literally) plain vanilla
ice-cream into a work of art when topped with strawberry sauce
and grated white chocolate (Google search on terms "spaghetti
ice cream") with a minimum of labor and a hefty value-addition
and mark-up. Onion rings would be stacked on a vertical wood
dowel on a base gizmo. Lots of sense-appeal tricks can be
likewise applied to other standard deep-fryer fare like poppers,
onion petals, breaded cheese sticks, sauced chicken wings or
breast strips, and mini-taco/burritos. The problem with the
"stock" snack items is that you pay a premium for the labor
already performed before you get them. I personally think you
could be a lot more creative, and a lot more profitable, creating
a whole new appetizer/snack/finger foods menu because these
kids aren't quite as disposed to preconceived notions coming
into the game.

No, I don't propose giving them Waterford crystal china. I just
advocate treating them the way the local fast-food joints dont
(in practice, that is, rather than marketing.)

2) Don't overestimate them. Make your place revolve around
them and their interests, cater to them, and change the rules
about what they expect. In the same breath, tolerate small
excursions into asshole-ism, but make it a social castration to be
barred from your place. Make your list of unacceptable behaviour
(drugs, alcohol, fighting, vandalism) and stick to it without
exception or negotiation - barred stands until 10 years after
they're dead - make it clear and post it loud. Require respect, or
resign yourself to being treated like a substitute teacher.

3) Dress up high-profit foods with unique and attractive
variations. Soft bread sticks, when coupled with an interesting
variety of dipping sauces, can be a killer. Take spaghetti with
an italian sausage meat sauce and roll it inside of a garlic-
buttered soft flour tortilla to create "walking around food."
Redesign what you know about food, to suit your audience.

4) See my earlier post on hot and exotic foods and how they could
be used to appeal to your male patrons healthy sense of
machismo and competition. No matter how far they travel in life,
they will always have a story about your "Alligator Tail Nuggets"
or "Rattlesnake Soup."

5) Appeal to their sense of adventure and sharing by offering
a lot of combination/sampler platters rather than just a long list
of a la carte single items. If you perceive that they have limited
discretionary income, the proper strategy is not to give up
selling the most desirable items to individuals, but to adjust by
upselling packages that appeal to groups, rather than singles.

6) Pizza is a great item, but remember that you are grabbing
them at a young age, and have a chance to create a market
rather than just join one. If you want to get into pizza, then
forget those frozen crimes-against-nature and create a signature
item that will be talked about far and wide. I'd recommend you
purchase and study the book "No Need To Knead" (search on
Amazon.com) and its low-labor/from-scratch/cheap-equipment
techniques as an excellent way to re-establish the "best
pizza in town" simply by changing the rules - not to mention a
whole spectrum of sandwich possibilities. If you want to be
perceived as unique, look at what everyone else is doing, and
don't do that.

7) Vegan/Vegetarianism items. Even if they don't sell, just
having them would be appropriate marketing to kids that are
in the process of experimentation and synthesis towards a sense
of self-image. Hemp T-shirts optional. Fiber high-colonics in
the back room very strongly discouraged, even if you do own
that certificate from the University Of Mechanics Illustrated
Classified Ads University.

8) Kids have a strong need for indentity and alignment - offer
them lots of means to purchase (or win, or be rewarded with
for frequent visits) not just the normal T-shirts, hats, visors, etc.,
but give them lots of opportunities to take home other logoed
items like cups, mini-pitchers, gelatin-injectors ("super-sour
contents in lieu of alcoholic.) Carnivals tend to endure giving
plastic combs and dirt-cheap plush animals in exchange for lots of
money, but that's because they generally leave town before
the yokels catch on. Scour catalogs like Oriental Trading
Company (google search on those three words gives you the
topmost rated link) for goofy stuff that keeps them coming back.
Don't act like a carnival or a redemption-ticket joint. Make them
feel they're getting something for nothing. Sometimes it's smart
to give them something for what they're convinced is "nothing."

9) Every night should have lots of contests and events that allow
kids to walk out "winners" even if it's just for mostly cheap
crap prizes that are off-beat enough to be cool. There is no more
powerful customer-identification strategy than to get their names
and/or pictures on your walls, and there's a thousand ways to
do it. Do it.

10) Don't under-estimate them, and mine their talents. Host
"guest DJ" feature sessions during the course of the evening,
use trusted and sharp kids as MC's for contests, pull the loners
in from the dark corners and have them help design your website
or paint murals on your walls. Bring in local politicians for
question and answer sessions with the kids on hot topics
(the local press will eat it up.) Get local adult experts
(local pediatrician vs. local tattoo shop owner) to discuss
the pros and cons of body art. I can think of a million other
hot topic debates, so can you. Just make sure both sides are
represented with a balance of strength, and that your role of
moderator is completely unbiased. Demand and insist on respect
for all opinions. Don't play the MTV "this is how you need to
think or you are un-cool" game.

11) Don't just have a hole in a wall concession stand, build a bar
and give them a place to congregate like the big-boys. Teach
your "bartenders" bottle/glass-tossing and other flair techniques,
and have a myriad of exotic and homemade juices, blends, and
syrups that give you the opportunity to create a whole new
market of drinks. In the old days, they were called soda-jerks,
now they should be spotlight staff and entertainers that are
part of the experience.

All of this is probably bad advice, ask me again tomorrow,
when I'll blame it all on (one of) my evil twin(s), Dorktender

Baudtender