Bikes welcome *inside* this cafe
David Nebenzahl
is opening in my 'hood, the Actual Cafe, corner of San Pablo & Alcatraz
in Oaktown. The bike page on their website explains that instead of
providing the usual lock-up space outside, they're inviting people *and*
their bikes inside. Nice, huh?
Page is here: http://www.actualcafe.com/bikes.html
--
Who needs a junta or a dictatorship when you have a Congress
blowing Wall Street, using the media as a condom?
- harvested from Usenet
David Kaye
>providing the usual lock-up space outside, they're inviting people *and*
>their bikes inside. Nice, huh?
At least until they start getting customers. Since a bike takes up the space
of two customers if the concept catches on they'll have to stop it. Sort of
like the Internet cafe idea. Provide access in order to fill tables. Then
the tables are filled for hours on end with people nursing one latte. So,
they've defeated their purpose.
Foldable bikes are the answer.
--
"You're in probably the wickedest, most corrupt city, most
Godless city in America." -- Fr Mullen, "San Francisco"
David Nebenzahl
> David Nebenzahl <nob...@but.us.chickens> wrote:
>
>> providing the usual lock-up space outside, they're inviting people
>> *and* their bikes inside. Nice, huh?
>
> At least until they start getting customers. Since a bike takes up the space
> of two customers if the concept catches on they'll have to stop it. Sort of
> like the Internet cafe idea. Provide access in order to fill tables. Then
> the tables are filled for hours on end with people nursing one latte. So,
> they've defeated their purpose.
Dunno about the bikes swamping available space; we'll have to see, won't we.
Regarding "wifi campers", this is a subject the owner has attacked
head-on in the blog associated with his site. He's debating whether to
even offer wifi access at all, and if so, how to limit it so that
customers don't walk in to a sea of peopled buried up to their asses in
their laptops. I like that approach. Again, no idea how that'll work out
in practice.
I will say that it's damn good to see businesses like his opening in my
somewhat commercially desertified neighborhood (basically the Golden
Gate Shopping District, San Pablo between 54 St. and the Berkeley border).
--
I am a Canadian who was born and raised in The Netherlands. I live on
Planet Earth on a spot of land called Canada. We have noisy neighbours.
- harvested from Usenet
David Nebenzahl
> Foldable bikes are the answer.
To you, maybe. I never intend to get on one of those god-damned things.
A friend of mine had a serious accident on one of those folders, and
while the bike was not the proximate cause of the accident, he did say
that the folding bike has a lot less stability than a full-size bike
because of the small wheels.
No thanks. Besides, they look funny.
David Kaye
>Regarding "wifi campers", this is a subject the owner has attacked
>head-on in the blog associated with his site. He's debating whether to
>even offer wifi access at all, and if so, how to limit it so that
>customers don't walk in to a sea of peopled buried up to their asses in
>their laptops.
Eileen, owner of Ritual Coffeehouse on Valencia got so tired of the campers
that she would turn off the wi-fi from time to time, especially on weekends.
This is fascinating given that a number of dot-coms had their genesis there.
The Zephyr coffeehouse on Balboa across from the theatre, requires at least
a $5 purchase before someone can use their outlets. For a time the owners
were sniffing around, watching everybody who plugged in.
van...@vsta.org
> Regarding "wifi campers", this is a subject the owner has attacked
> head-on in the blog associated with his site. He's debating whether to
> even offer wifi access at all, and if so, how to limit it so that
> customers don't walk in to a sea of peopled buried up to their asses in
> their laptops. I like that approach. Again, no idea how that'll work out
> in practice.
I've been involved with several cafe owners (as a partner, not a
camper--though I've done that too!), and it ends up being simpler
than you'd hope. Any customer you drive away, will stay away.
So when you look at that sea of laptops and start fantasizing about
how to make them go away, ask yourself if you would like all, say,
thirty of those people to never come back?
Even going after "leaches" who come in and don't even buy a product
turns out to be an overall loss. It burns out your employees, turns
off the people sitting next to the leach, and the leach will
tell their spin of the story to all their friends.
My advice? Look at your Cafe and say "I'm glad lots of people want to
be here". It's basic psychology; an empty business stays empty. A
full business is a magnet.
--
Andy Valencia
Home page: http://www.vsta.org/andy/
To contact me: http://www.vsta.org/contact/andy.html
Don Freeman
> On 11/17/2009 12:19 AM David Kaye spake thus:
>
>> Foldable bikes are the answer.
>
> To you, maybe. I never intend to get on one of those god-damned things.
>
> A friend of mine had a serious accident on one of those folders, and
> while the bike was not the proximate cause of the accident, he did say
> that the folding bike has a lot less stability than a full-size bike
> because of the small wheels.
>
I hit a pothole on mine that if I had been riding my road bike would
have just been a jarring bump but on my folder I got thrown over the
handle bars and broke my shoulder blade. I still ride it but only in
emergencies or if I need to take it on public transportation during the
ride.
--
-Don
David Kaye
>To you, maybe. I never intend to get on one of those god-damned things.
>
I rode on one once, and as you may remember, I'm about 300 lbs. It was
actually a pretty good ride, except for the fact that the gearing was really
bad. I had to pedal a lot to get anywhere.
>A friend of mine had a serious accident on one of those folders, and
>while the bike was not the proximate cause of the accident, he did say
>that the folding bike has a lot less stability than a full-size bike
>because of the small wheels.
Even so, it's the ultimate solution to bike storage/carrying problems. I met
someone who sells them. He hangs out at the Java Beach Cafe on Judah and
Grreat Highway. It was a pretty cool looking bike. I didn't ride on it, but
when he unfolded it the thing actually didn't look like something a clown
would ride in a circus. It looked real.
David Kaye
>So when you look at that sea of laptops and start fantasizing about
>how to make them go away, ask yourself if you would like all, say,
>thirty of those people to never come back?
One of the things I've learned as an entrepreneur (restaurant, moving company,
telephone call center (answering service), mailbox rental agency, and now tech
support) is that the cheapo customers aren't worth dealing with. 80% of your
headaches come from 20% of the people. Those people complain about
everything, have no respect for what you're trying to do, and aren't the kind
of customer who is going to benefit you long-term.
>It's basic psychology; an empty business stays empty. A
>full business is a magnet.
Having been in the restaurant biz I can say that you don't necessarily want a
business full of leaches. In my establishment I had a restaurant full of $1
coffee drinkers. And they didn't evne tip.
David Nebenzahl
> David Nebenzahl <nob...@but.us.chickens> wrote:
>
>> To you, maybe. I never intend to get on one of those god-damned things.
>
> I rode on one once, and as you may remember, I'm about 300 lbs. It was
> actually a pretty good ride, except for the fact that the gearing was really
> bad. I had to pedal a lot to get anywhere.
Not exactly a ringing endorsement.
>> A friend of mine had a serious accident on one of those folders,
>> and while the bike was not the proximate cause of the accident, he
>> did say that the folding bike has a lot less stability than a
>> full-size bike because of the small wheels.
>
> Even so, it's the ultimate solution to bike storage/carrying
> problems. I met someone who sells them. He hangs out at the Java
> Beach Cafe on Judah and Grreat Highway. It was a pretty cool looking
> bike. I didn't ride on it, but when he unfolded it the thing actually
> didn't look like something a clown would ride in a circus. It looked
> real.
Heh; I like the clown-bike metaphor.
I feel about folding bikes the same way I do about B&D (bondage and
domination): while I'm glad it's available for those who like to partake
of it, I have no interest in using it myself.
(Grreat Highway? I annoy my friends by saying "Hey, it's not just a
pretty good highway--it's a Great Highway!")
Jym Dyer
just stroll on in where one might not even consider bringing
a full-sized bicycle indoors.
> It was actually a pretty good ride, except for the fact
> that the gearing was really bad. I had to pedal a lot to
> get anywhere.
=v= Do you know what brand this was? Most modern folding
bikes do NOT have this problem, unless they're el cheapo.
>> A friend of mine had a serious accident on one of those
>> folders, and while the bike was not the proximate cause of
>> the accident, he did say that the folding bike has a lot less
>> stability than a full-size bike because of the small wheels.
=v= It's simply a different ride. Smaller wheels have less
angular momentum, but this is not the major contributor to
the bike's stability. You just need to match your steering
and leaning style to the wheel size.
<_Jym_>