Blue Bayou Club Feedback
Posted by BlueBayouClub on May 2, 2010
This is for general comments, suggestions, complaints or complements, specifically about the club. Be nice, be constructive. Discuss the problem, not the person. As the owner I will monitor this category and provide input whenever it is meaningful.
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Will Baker said
My friend, and band mate Dan Chegash and I really love to play at the Bayou and we hope to see it continue to stay open.
One Idea Dan had was to get the Bayou to go in with either the wooden nickle or tubalos, or both , to provide food for the club. You could have their menues available and either call in or e-mail the orders, and Split the food profit. as you know when people eat they drink more, so the profit and drink sales margin would increase at least 30%.
Just an idea.
Thanks for providing such a great venue for artist like myself, and the band and I will be available for you anytime, especially if you need us to play a benefit show for you and the Bayou.
good luck!
Will Baker
and the Sticky Wickets
krista said
Is it true the Harvey Dalton Arnold Band is replacing Damuthas 5/15? If so, it’d be good to note that on the calendar. HDA was a great show!
Saw Nick Moss & the Flip-Tops last nite in Orlando (they are one of my Bayou top 10 shows)
Jana said
I know there are calculated business reasons the music starts late at the Bayou and most other clubs, but it’s a barrier to getting most of my (middle aged, working Mon-Fri) friends to come out and enjoy the music. I’m really motivated to get there and know it’ll be worth the sleep deprivation and lost time for other things on Saturday or Sunday – but for a lot of people it’s too steep a hill to climb to work all day Friday and wait ’til 10PM for the music to start – or to run around Saturday and try to keep their energy up to go out later Saturday night. I think if people could come a little earlier and have food it might bridge that gap when they’d have otherwise crapped out on their couches at home waiting to come to a late show. The Broad Street Cafe in Durham started out with simple fare – pre-made wraps/sandwiches, coffee/tea etc. This would probably be enough to get some people in earlier who don’t want to battle crowds and spend more money at one of the Churton St. restaurants. It would be great to have some pepper-free popcorn, too – it makes me sneeze like crazy but I’m so hungry by midnight!
BlueBayouClub said
Jana,
We tried early shows (starting at 8:00 pm) when we first opened and didn’t get anyone out until 9:30 or 10:00 so that’s why we began starting later. An early show would probably work if started at 6:30 or 7:00 pm, *if* there was food available as well. Folks want to eat when they come out that early.
I never wanted to own/run a restaurant so I have never been very interested in serving food at the Bayou. For the first 7 years of the Bayou’s existence, the monthly shortfall (mostly from not selling food) was not a concern for me. However, times change and I’m no longer able/willing to absorb the monthly loss. I think the early show suggestion is excellent for any new owner that is willing to handle the food sales.
-Gary
melissa lomax said
The Blue Bayou is a true treasure. I am a veteran of many New Orleans clubs and this is as close as we can get outside Louisiana. We need great places like this to honor the music. I truly hope that this club can survive and thrive.
mark taylor said
Alright this is a little wordy but I have to get this off my chest!
It’s going to be a sad thing to see the BB silent & empty.
I’ve seen most of the big acts there too many to mention them all
Benoit / Thackery / Castro / Cummings / Walter Trout on my 50th birthday Woo Hoo ouch!
So here you go.
I renovate houses for a living. So when I come across a house in shambles the yards a mess etc.. I have to get creative in my thinking and look beyond what is in front of me and say how can I turn this around.
I pass by the bb all the time around lunch time and I was just there the other night catching all the bands and gave the waitress a $10 dollar bill for my beer a tip well deserved!
It may be to late for these thoughts to mean anything but this is how my mind works when I’m faced with a project I have to make a profit on.
The BB needs food – not a kitchen
option 1 – sandwiches, chips ,drinks catered in
option 2 – a sandwich bar with meats & cheese (like at subway & jersy mikes)
bar can be on wheels so it can be moved out of the way when not in use
you need these things for option 2
* a fridge to keep the meats & extras in
* a cabinet to store bread
* a microwave to heat sandwiches
* mustard / mayo /salt /pepper /let. tom. onion pep etc
* chips
* bottle water / can sodas / cups & ice / napkins
* inventory control to rotate these goods
Now if this sandwich bar is available from lets say 11:00 till 2:00 and there are a few tables and chairs also on the side walk (good advertisment) like Tupelo’s up the side walk this would pull people in.
As far as the food bar being available at night this would be optional. if there is nobody performing keep the dang thing open.
If there is an event happening have lots of sandwiches made to sell.
and to mix it up a little I would test run having lots of pizza
catered in to sell to the patrons by the slice
(the smell of pizza in the air will sell beer)
mmmmm beer, pizza, blues and friends
So thats the food part.
When you look at the list of people that gave their money in these hard times.
This pretty much says there has to be more than work, the news, and trying to keep the family safe, happy and healthy.
Hey I need a break lets go see a show with some people I like being around. That is what these small clubs are for, call it fellowship or what ever, but it just feels right.
But everyone knows its also a business that takes money.
I would love to go in the BB and see a big stack of flyers that list the hours , menu, and up coming shows on the bar with a sign saying take MANY and spread the word of the BLUES.
I’d grab a hand full and throw em in my truck – I’m all over raleigh, durham etc..
t-shirts
hats
bumper stickers
(money makers as well as advertisment)
I play the guitar (blues of coarse) and I know I ain’t the only one that goes to the BB that wouldn’t jump on a $5 or $10 raffle ticket for a fender or gibson guitar especially if it was autographed by one of the BB performers um lets say Kenny Neal maybe?
This would be a money maker – could pay a major month overhead bill
Now you may have some patrons that would offer a guitar to the club for raffle the instruments could come from different sources
I’d also like to see a board on the wall saying BB needs free service of electrican, carpenter, painter when something needs to be done.
Like build the tables I mentioned that could be out front or upgrade the stage whatever is needed.
I mean if people will give there money they will give ther time and ther skills.
Ask and you shall receive
I know I would if Gary ask me
Remember I renovate houses and do about 90% of the work myself except electrical and plumbing
So anyway this is just me rambling, like I said when I see a house that needs help there are solutions. And the Blue Bayou needs help which is like all of us it needs cash flow.
The cash flow for the Blue Bayou could come from the sources I mentioned
Food
Bar
T-shirts – Hats – Bumper Stickers
Monthly Instrument Raffle
Continue to receive $ donations
Patron offering “free” Services when needed
These are all cash flow possibilites to sustain the business
until the acts show up and draw that cash flow
I don’t even know if anyone will see this but it feels a little better to get it off my chest.
It’s late and I’m tired – hang in there BB
BlueBayouClub said
Mark,
Thanks for your thoughts. I agree with pretty much everything you said (and I suggested the same about adding food without a kitchen in the “Bayou Is For Sale” page of this blog). There are definitely revenue streams that we have not taken advantage of.
Personally I think that additional merchandising and pre-prepared foods (that don’t require a full kitchen) are about all it would take to make the club self sustaining. I would love to find (and have been trying to find) a buyer that is willing to make those efforts. But, for me personally, I have other things that require my attention at this time so I am not able to continue to carry that responsibility.
We have about 4 weeks left before the lights go out … hopefully someone will come forward that will be willing to work to keep it open.
-Gary