If you were going to open a Cyclone Bar in DSM, where do you think it would be most successful?
Would you go to game watches regardless of location?
Would you go to game watches regardless of location?
Cyclone Bar?
- Thread starter 4429 mcc
- Start date
I would say either Downtown or a neighborhood like Ingersoll or Beaverdale would work.
I would go for game watches, and for a beer on a regular basis in order to patronize them. I would visit the place regardless of where in the metro it was.
I would go for game watches, and for a beer on a regular basis in order to patronize them. I would visit the place regardless of where in the metro it was.
If you are talking about a place with cyclone memorabilia hanging on the wall and cyclone friendly bartenders/waitstaff then I would go anywhere in the metro for such an experience.
I agree All_4_State. Beaverdale-Ingersoll ish area would be a good place. West Des Moines/Ankeny would just be too sterile/strip mallish
Thing is you'd need to establish a bit of a "regular" crowd. It's easier to do that in DM proper, IMO as you can have the bar where people live/work in close proximity. Also, those neighborhoods are centrally located. If you live in Altoona, Waukee, Ankeny, or Norwalk, it still isn't all that far away. If you put it in WDM, it kind of alienates anyone on the East side from ever being a regular. Same with putting it in Ankeny, or any other 'burb (save Urbandale/Windsor Heights). People across town would probably come for game watches, but not for a pint after work or on a non-football weekend night.
And yeah, it would have a lot more character if it isn't in a strip mall.
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I think downtown would be the best, most centralized, visable location. It makes it more of a distination spot (plus you can feed off of the synergy of the other venues and events that are located and occur there).
I can think of several great spots off the top of my head:
* former Buzzard Billy's location - on Court Avenue, best patio in the metro
* former Judge Roy Bean's spot - on Court Avenue, great old brick building
* former Embassy Club in Capital Square - great visibility as it lies at the end of the popular 4th Street (Royal Mile, Fong's, etc.) - a lot of potential patio area
* ground floor of the recently rehabbed Rumley Lofts building (across the street from Hessan Haus
* recenty vacated building north across the street from High Life/El Bait Shop
* old brewery building (west of Principal Park)
Just outside of downtown - old Hardees building on Ingersoll Ave
Ankeny is so close to Ames, if I'm going to drive north, I might as well go the extra 1/2 hour to Ames.
I also would think it would make a big statement about Cyclone following in Des Moines metro if downtown had a Cyclone bar whereas there is no Hawkeye bar there. To me, that would be a HUGE statement. Also, right or wrong, you do risk alienating a certain segment of your potential customer base by picking one suburb over another (or over DM). You put it downtown, you eliminate that issue (although, it is hard to measure how big an issue it would be...even though it has been hinted already by a couple previous comments.) IMO, the only reason you don't go downtown, is lack of $$$$$ to do it right.
I can think of several great spots off the top of my head:
* former Buzzard Billy's location - on Court Avenue, best patio in the metro
* former Judge Roy Bean's spot - on Court Avenue, great old brick building
* former Embassy Club in Capital Square - great visibility as it lies at the end of the popular 4th Street (Royal Mile, Fong's, etc.) - a lot of potential patio area
* ground floor of the recently rehabbed Rumley Lofts building (across the street from Hessan Haus
* recenty vacated building north across the street from High Life/El Bait Shop
* old brewery building (west of Principal Park)
Just outside of downtown - old Hardees building on Ingersoll Ave
Ankeny is so close to Ames, if I'm going to drive north, I might as well go the extra 1/2 hour to Ames.
I also would think it would make a big statement about Cyclone following in Des Moines metro if downtown had a Cyclone bar whereas there is no Hawkeye bar there. To me, that would be a HUGE statement. Also, right or wrong, you do risk alienating a certain segment of your potential customer base by picking one suburb over another (or over DM). You put it downtown, you eliminate that issue (although, it is hard to measure how big an issue it would be...even though it has been hinted already by a couple previous comments.) IMO, the only reason you don't go downtown, is lack of $$$$$ to do it right.
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I would go anywhere in the metro for a true ISU bar. I don't think that it would do well downtown. Most places downtown succeed for 2 reasons, they have thousands of people come on thurs fri sat, or they serve good food and people come to eat there. Another reason I guess is places like the lift/mile/red monk where downtowny type people fill it up on the weekdays and weekends.
And why couldn't said Iowa State bar do this? Actually, by having good food, you could make people that didn't really care all that much about sports as regular clients. There are more of those folks than you think.
Yeah...I guess I assumed food would be served too, but the OP didn't specify. Only said bar.
Well if this is a Cyclone state, as close to Kinnick stadium as is possible, RIGHT?
Of course we're doing this with your money...
Of course we're doing this with your money...
From my experience, if they serve Clone Cones there will be lines out the door.
I think Ingersol would be a good location.
There are plenty of good bars on court that it would be hard to compete plus I wouldn't want to deal with the parking issues just to go see a game.
I also vote against Ankeny. It would be great for people that live in Ankeny but no one I know that lives in the DM metro ever goes to Ankeny.
There are plenty of good bars on court that it would be hard to compete plus I wouldn't want to deal with the parking issues just to go see a game.
I also vote against Ankeny. It would be great for people that live in Ankeny but no one I know that lives in the DM metro ever goes to Ankeny.
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There is a building directly acrossed from Front Row in Windsor Heights that is really an amazing space that has no occupant. Seriously, this place has sat doormant for at least five years. I think this would be a great locale, and there's even good parking available as well.
Bonus factor: I could walk there.
Bonus factor: I could walk there.
The vaste majority of "parking issues" in downtown Des Moines are perceived, not real and come from our habit of being able to park right in front of the place we are intending to go.
There are two parking ramps on Court Avenue that are generally free after 6pm and all-day on weekends. Even with those options, I rarely use them myself as I don't normally have trouble finding a spot on a side street or in one of the surface lots.
The number of "Ankeny" votes doesn't surprise me, because there's a lot of CFer's from Ankeny out here. But for a couple reasons, I agree this is not the ideal location.