AREA42 - Club Membership for Geeks

The business of tabletop gaming and internet cafés is taking the world by storm. From pen and paper games, like Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh!, Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder to consoles and computers favorites, like Skyrim, Call of Duty: WWII and Minecraft, the gaming industry continues to grow. While anime fandom and gaming are increasing in popularity, many can still attest to feeling disregarded and often ridiculed by those who don't understand or appreciate their passion. Consequently, these same people often settle for unfavorable conditions (i.e., uncomfortable seating in the corner of a store or campus and/or lack of privacy) just for the opportunity to participate in gaming and other activities with like-minded enthusiasts.

With thousands of successful club facilities, targeting everything from sports and health, to wine, travel, and books, it only made sense that this should include a club facility that caters to our geek communities as well. With establishing AREA42, we're looking to offer something that will encourage all to embrace their inner-nerdom!

On December 31, 2015, I registered my business (AREA42) with the State of Texas, and for the next two years, turned my attention towards planning and designing a facility that would provide a safe location and welcoming environment for our "geek" communities. On August 5, 2017, with the support of my sons, I took a leap of faith and set out to launch a club membership for tabletop gaming, anime, Live Action Role Play (LARP), and Costume Play (Cosplay) communities.

As with every business, finding the perfect location was essential, and we were fortunate to secure one located in Arlington, Texas, directly across the street from beautiful Veteran's Park. Our space is over 6,400 SF, of which 4,000 we are able to use towards the actual club. Because the unit needed a lot of work, the lease was fairly cheap, which was great because the only funds available was a small personal loan that I was able to get through my credit union (I was refused a business loan because "gaming club" wasn't recognized as a legitimate business). Realizing funds were limited, we couldn't afford to waste resources or time, getting our doors open.

With a crew of only two (occasionally, three), we devoted every spear hour towards fixing up and preparing for opening day. With every penny counting, we made all of the tabletops and did most of the repairs ourselves. Finally, on October 27, 2017, after three months of hard work and sweat, AREA42 was open for business!


Our Mission:

AREA42's ultimate goal is to establish club facilities, nationwide, and provide affordable monthly memberships that members can apply at any of our locations.

AREA42-Arington TX Amenities Include:

- 32 Tabletops - 100+ Spacious & Comfortable Seats
- 3 Wargaming Tabletops (6’x5’)
- 4 Role-Play-Game Tabletops (6’x5’)
- DM's Play for free
- 8 Trading-Card-Game Tabletops: (5) 8’x2’; (2) 3’x2’; and (1) 5’x2’ 
- 17 PC / Console Hookups
- Anime Theater
- Free WiFi
- Café / Snack Area
- Weekly/Monthly Social Events and Activities
- ADA Compliant

Tabletops





Our customers are business professionals and students, whose fandom include anime, tabletop gaming, LARP, Cosplay, and related social events and activities. They are amongst the hundreds of thousands of participants, nationwide, who attend various local and nationwide conventions and activities, which report increasing success year after year. A-Kon, Anime Expo, Waxacon, Houston Arcade Expo, Delta H Con, ZiCon, World Fantasy Con, Dr. Who, Fur-Eh! are just a few examples of annual events that take place in Texas. In fact, A-Kon, which originated in Dallas TX in 1990 with just 380 attendances, is now the second largest anime convention in North American, drawing tens of thousands of fans each year (32,639 warm bodies recorded during the June 2016 convention).

Café / Snack Area


Having achieved the initial hurdle of getting the club up and running, I realized, as have most new business owners, there is still a long way to go. The bulk of my personal loan, which went towards equipment, maintenance, and lease, has not gone as far as hoped. We are aggressively announcing our presence through social media* and getting out into the community through flyers. Unfortunately, attracting a community that has seldom expected to be considered, has proven difficult with getting business in the door. We are slowly seeing traffic, but not enough to make ends meet. It will take more time than previously thought to convince prospective members of our legitimacy. Consequently, what little capital remains is nearly depleted, and there's not enough to keep AREA42's doors open until we're able to secure the market. With your support, we can continue to give our sincerest efforts towards making AREA42 a success.

Library / Quiet Room

We're seeking your help to get us through the rest of this first year and allow AREA42 a chance to grow. Those who know me know that I seldom ask for help. The success of AREA42 means that much to me; to be able to create something for a community of people that I know have been overlooked for far too long.

Theater

EVENTS:

Amanda's Birthday Party!
Cheers!

Awesome Thursday D&D Gamers!

Extra Life Charity Event 2017!



Thank you for your time and consideration!