Did you buildout or buy an existing bar/nightclub?

[WhipEffect]

The area of town where I'm looking has a bunch of strip malls but no free standing buildings that use to be bars or restaurants. I'm torn because I know building out will cost more plus I will probably have to solicit the services of an architect. Can I get some stories of how you moved through this phase.

[Jallen0]

Look at Catcus Canyon clubs on the web. They go into strip malls and build out clubs there all the time. Interesting layout at times but their clubs are almost always busy.

[casabar]

Ready bars are the way to go unless you have huge assets to spare.

By ready bars I am referring to places that were bars/restos currently or were at one time. Stay away from virgin buildings that do not have have the basic facilities in place to be converted to a functional bar/resto. Unless of course you have the time, funds and all the other things that would make it a worth while effort.

i.e. I put a bar in a 200 year old house that seemed like it would be cool. it was! And it was costly. based on your budget I recommend gambling ( this is a gambling business ) on the getting people in the door based on the attraction than the reaction. By this I mean put your money into physical hard asset effects and fixtures than structural ones that no one one will notice ( or at least notice after they enter ) and that will deplete your funding.

Point: Find a building that needs less so you can spend more on fluff.

[casabar]

To answer your specific question regarding having to solicit an arcitect. I wish it were only that easy! If it were I would not have had to sell my G.I. Joe Kung Fu Grip collector series doll collection to bail myself out of my first money pit.

[owneroper]

I'm not a gambler, I own two bars that have each been in operation for 60+ years. The goodwill in these places are worth as much as the property in my opinion. To make a bar from the ground up would be too much for my heart and my wallet.

[ministry]

i have built the 3 i have. i am about 3 weeks away from opening the latest one. i prefer to build. my concept is no glitz or glam. the one now was a mortgage office before i got in and yes some things were pricey ( copper ) but it was built to my specs. i have some horror stories but some things were easier. i think that it is cheaper to do a build out ( depends on your concept). i had the kung fu grip gi joe but i think my mom tossed it.

[casabar]

Well after looking at your website Ministry I am now ( always have been actually ) of your style bar. Maybe no " glitz or glam", but plenty of "titz & mams". BTW I have never seen some many beautiful twins before! What's your secret?

regarding the question of wether to build -out or buy ready made. I prefer to build-out. The point being that I am the hands - on master builder / contractor and nothing is done without not only my approval, but my work - from electrical to plumbing, carpentry to concrete, hvac to shop-vac.

I will one day post my latest venture in a so-called "modern" 3rd world country ( you have no idea unless you've done it ) which includes my 5 gallon mud bucket toilet and outdoor spicket shower. 5 months of 18 plus hour days, 35 pounds of lost weight and I am not, nor ever was a chubby fella, and over 300 taxis ( I'm in the 8th largest city in the world ) to lug materials for nit noy chit.

So there is building your own bar and then building your own bar. Aside from always 100% financing the projects myself, building 80% or better, and then teaching every swinging Richard and bouncing Betty to do their bar/club job to my standards by doingsetting the example hands on ( and I can out pour the best ! )

It is not that I had to sell off my G.I. Joes as much it was that it was the meager money I saved from being a G.I. Joe that bought the first bottle.

Note: I recommend that all bar/club owners get a cat. My bar cats live on-site and save me a small fortune in extermination fees. Get them when they are kittens ( 3-6 weeks old ) and aside from rats if you can teach them to develope an appetite for cockroaches then you have one great *****cat in a buisness full of everthing but cat.

Besos

[ministry]

my secret ? chicks dig old fat guys !