Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: aaron haaland, Comics, entertainment, geek easy

Geek Easy Bar Crowd Funds Expansion

Aaron Haaland writes,

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwUnQPPxYQI[/youtube]

Hi, I'm Aaron Haaland, I do the A Comic Show video that's right here on Bleeding Cool every Tuesday. I also own a comic shop called A Comic Shop and The Geek Easy, a bar & grill venue. The comic shop's been going great from the start, voted best in Orlando seven years running, dozens of creator signings, a Spirit of Retailing Eisner finalist (we almost won), and then we opened a bar. And now we are running a crowd funding campaign to expand that bar at mygeekeasy.com.

I know comics, that's not a problem, but the bar has been kicking my ass. It won the award for best kept secret Orlando, then the secret got out and business exploded. It was clear from the start that comic nerds wanted a place to drink and socialize, but soon after we realized they had some of their own dreams. One stage, two amps, several mics and speakers later we became a venue. Local nerds started stepping up hosting Geek Trivia, Nerdy Karaoke, stand –up comedy, open mic, improv, story reading, as well as promoting concerts, and preforming in bands. Several nights a week flowed over our 75 person capacity, kegs of beer ran out before our next weekly shipment, and long lines formed for our one restroom. Then, right when I was ready to take on one of these issues, I got hit with the Florida Department of Restaurant's demand that I install a commercial grade hood system over the griddle we use for grilled cheese sandwiches. We got a restaurant license from the same people a year earlier, without any mention of this hood, so it really was an unexpected ten thousand dollar expense.

At this point I realized I was living in 2014. If my business couldn't meet expansion demands with our cash on hand, I didn't have to do what businesses were forced into since the dawn of capitalism (bring on investors with their own agendas or take on high interest loans). I could crowd fund. The people who wanted us to expand, and those who believed it what we were doing, could fund it in exchange for perks like a year of beer. We are expanding The Geek Easy for larger events, getting more beers on tap, making a second bathroom, remodeling A Comic Shop, and more. This all needs to be done, and is happening, but with your support it all can be even better (and a whole lot faster)! You can get your name on the wall for just $5, or that with a sticker, lanyard, and t-shirt for $25.

Here's why you could decide to care even if you don't live in Orlando and never plan to visit us: we are trailblazing a possible future for comic book retailing. Comic conventions are blowing up, people love to interact with fellow fans socially, but comic shops are by and large a retail establishment with a core group of regulars who feel like family. That often creates a clubhouse effect where the only people who get the community feel are the long time regulars, while new people feel like outsiders. Having a bar can lubricate conversation and a venue has been the setting of new friendships. As more people transition to digital comics or online discounters, the brick and mortar comic shop can really benefit by adding a strong and reoccurring social gathering (party) element to itself. I'll be showing that it can be done, how it's done, and I'm not afraid to show where I've failed and where the pitfalls are. I'm writing a monthly column on combining a comic shop with a bar and venue, and will be answering questions about it from readers. Your shop could start doing geek trivia weekly with beer because of our example and advice! Then maybe you could be the one who hosts that trivia weekly for a cut of the bar, or host karaoke, or any number of things. Comic fans are creative people, or at least are people who value creativity. The comic shop can become a place where nerds don't just find belonging, but live out their longings. Things we are obsessed with can become more than just hobbies. We can grow comic shops by growing the people that come inside them. It just takes beer, and probably a stage, amp, mic, and speakers.

tl;dr – I'm expanding my geek bar and venue to meet demand and renovating A Comic Shop at the same time, so I decided to crowd fund it with a lot of great rewards. If you like our videos, our shop, or just think the concept of a geek bar/comic shop combo is worth supporting for a t-shirt, please check it out. If you don't want to support us, then don't. It's all good, but still check us out when you're in Orlando, FL!

Click here for the official video and full campaign: http://mygeekeasy.com/

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