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Starting a CU Bar

chitownbuff

chitownbuff

Club Member
Does anyone have any experience with convincing a local bar to convert to a "CU bar?" The current one in Chicago is downright weak and gets more pathetic as the season rolls on and the losses start piling up (I have only lived out here for the Hawkins years). I'll admit that we do have quite a few bandwagon fans out here but the bar is doing absolutely nothing to market itself and attract new Buffs. Any advice would be much appreciated!
 
I can't give you any insight. But if you make the sales pitch to a bar, you can certainly tell them that the #1 Buffs fan site will publicize it. Maybe send absinthe a PM. He may have some ideas for you and might be able to get you connected with the right people at CU.
 
The bar owner has only one thing in mind...revenue. If you can convince the him that you can get butts in seats, and those customers will spend, then they'll go for it. If they see CU as not having a lot of fans in Chicago, you're facing an uphill battle.
 
As someone who lived in Chicago for a couple years, I feel your pain. The Fireplace Inn sucked. They had horrible service, and they seemed to treat the CU fans as an annoyance to their regular Saturday customers. And they had zero drink specials, unless you wanted a gigantic $15 vodka lemonade.

I actually talked to a bar owner I knew about becoming a CU bar while I was there. The only problem was I had no interaction with the people in charge of the Alumni Club and I figured they had to be involved to get the word out, which is the most important thing really.

I think bar managers and owners will be pretty accessible to you because you want to bring them business. Think of all the bs bar crawls and fundraisers that get set up around town, they're more than willing to find a way to get people in their bar early on a Saturday.

The hard part would be finding a bar in a good location, with good tv's, that is not already affiliated a school. Michigan State seems to have a monopoly there, which was weird. I wouldn't be afraid of dive bars either, they might be more excited about getting the business and more inclined to have drink specials.

Newport Bar & Grill on Southport & Newport was the bar I asked the owner about making a CU bar. He's since left, but I'd be suprised if they found another school affiliation. They tried to be an Illinois bar, but there were so many of those already, it didn't make much of a difference.

I think the big hurdle would be talking to the Alumni Club people. I believe the Fireplace is owned by a CU alum, so he might raise hell if they start promoting another CU bar. It's worth the effort though. Fight the good fight.
 
A good place to start would be to find out the number of alums in the Chicagoland area. I'm not sure whether they'd have it, but Mike Bohn's office would be a good place to start in asking that.

Then, armed with those #'s, you should put yourself in a position to show how you could help market the Buff Bar to help the owner get it going -- message boards, other CU sites, the alumni newsletter, Buff Club, etc. Also, a package of materials about CU football history, the Pac-12 invite, Larry Scott's TV deal, etc. would help. Some examples of very successful Buff sites in Cali, DC, NYC, etc. also would help. And finally, it wouldn't hurt to show that places like Playboy rate CU as the top party school in the nation, and a crowd that just loves the brew, especially expensive brands.

Bottom line -- make it worthwhile for the bar owner, and the two of you could both be winners.
 
Fireplace Inn does in fact suck. It was ok maybe 4 years ago, but after they redid the place and now are a combo Buffs and Boilermakers bar, its not a great atmosphere for CU fans.

I think the best course of action is to get a hold of the people behind the CU Alumni Club http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chicago-Buffs/146850468328 and http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=86815484461 and http://www.cualum.org/chapters/chicago/ and working with them or taking over and selecting a new place. I hear DC has an amazing alumni network and CU provides them merchandise and money for parties and events. Chicago needs some of that spirit. I am sure you could find a good bar that would love to become the Buffs official spot if they do not already have another affiliation. Love to help in fact...
 
Maybe swinging by this event in a couple of weeks would help put you in contact with some of the right people and actually see how much of a demand there sn for a new Buffs Bar: http://bit.ly/lILtWv

Chicago Alumni Reception
with Dean David Ikenberry

Wednesday, May 18
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Fulton's on the River
315 N. LaSalle Street
Chicago, Illinois 60654

(I'll be there with some fellow Leeds Grads)
 
BupsJones said:
Maybe swinging by this event in a couple of weeks would help put you in contact with some of the right people and actually see how much of a demand there sn for a new Buffs Bar: http://bit.ly/lILtWv

Chicago Alumni Reception
with Dean David Ikenberry

Wednesday, May 18
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Fulton's on the River
315 N. LaSalle Street
Chicago, Illinois 60654

(I'll be there with some fellow Leeds Grads)
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Thanks fellas. I'm glad to see that many people feel the same way I do. Chi-town is way too a big a city to keep putting out the same weak effort every year. I'll definitely be attending this event and working every industry person I know to get some changes in gear.
 
chitownbuff said:
Thanks fellas. I'm glad to see that many people feel the same way I do. Chi-town is way too a big a city to keep putting out the same weak effort every year. I'll definitely be attending this event and working every industry person I know to get some changes in gear.
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You could really make a nice little Saturday/Sunday for yourself and your friends researching. Just pick out every bar on the North Side that doesn't have a school flag out front--walk in, ask for a drink, and then ask if they'd like 200 extra people in their bar every fall weekend. You may not find a CU bar by the end of the day, but you'll at least be ****faced.
 
getting there early, overtipping has always worked for me (in Nashville, inna day). make yourself known to the day staff....and they will hook you up. they might think you are a sad soldier in life's Great Journey, serial killer, but at least you get to see the Buffs.
 
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FrankRizzo said:
The bar has a cool set-up but lack of drink specials and shared space with Purdon't fans is rough.
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They had to pick the one school with nearly identical colors. I'm curious if a change of scenery would actually attract more Buff fans. There is always a good showing for the opener and then it's crickets. Granted the product on the field has been terrible, but even for KU basketball games it's pathetic.
 
chitownbuff said:
They had to pick the one school with nearly identical colors. I'm curious if a change of scenery would actually attract more Buff fans. There is always a good showing for the opener and then it's crickets. Granted the product on the field has been terrible, but even for KU basketball games it's pathetic.
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How many CU fans are usually there for football games?
 
Talk to Chris Hemple who runs norcal buffs. you likely need to upgrade your entire info system in Chicago to make this work. I can certainly help you as well. But the SF chapter is the best run from this stand point in the country and they have had to move bars a couple of times recently.

I'd also recommend engaging the current local chapter leader as well as the officials at CU, and attending any CU event you can find in your area to talk it up.
 
Chicago watch party

ChitownBuff,

Send me an email and I can answer alot of your questions regarding all things CU in Chicago.

RFBuff
 
I live in Chicago and feel the same way about Fireplace, it seems like they feel like they are doing us a favor by putting up a flag. Which by the way is upside down (the one inside). Let me know if I can do anything to help with this.
 
chitownbuff said:
I'll definitely be there. Fulton's is right down the street from my office.
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did you end up making it to the alumni event? not a huge turnout but nice for the business school, nonetheless. any further development with the chicago chapter? i found this link, maybe it can help to get the old chapter leaders moving in the right direction or allow them to hand the reigns over to some fresh faces: http://www.cualum.org/services/chapters/how-to-start-a-regional-chapter/
 
BupsJones said:
did you end up making it to the alumni event? not a huge turnout but nice for the business school, nonetheless. any further development with the chicago chapter? i found this link, maybe it can help to get the old chapter leaders moving in the right direction or allow them to hand the reigns over to some fresh faces: http://www.cualum.org/services/chapters/how-to-start-a-regional-chapter/
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I did. I expected a few more people, but hey, that just meant more Amstel Lights for me. I might have bit off more than I can chew with my aspiration to seek out a new bar, but will definitely recruit with the best of them if someone decides to take the initiative. I'm traveling for work every week for the rest of summer so I don't want people depending on me to make it happen.
 
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