The Stormy Teacup

Poxyshamrock

Just spotted this campaign on twitter. It's to open a tea rooms/craft shop on Foxes Bow in Limerick but they need our help to raise the cash. I'd love to see something like this in Limerick and it's what the city centre needs! I hope they get the cash.

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-stormy-teacup

Pumpkinseeds

It sounds as though it might be a bit of a niche clique kind of place. I picture groups of students talking nonsense and bickering loudly while nursing a cup of coffee for hours, and 'artisan' coffee generally means overpriced', my husband loves all the weird loose teas and they don't come cheap either.

Tbh, it sounds like the kind of place I'd avoid like the plague. It doesn't sound as though it has the potential to be a successful business and I wonder if they're business plan didn't convince a bank to give them a business loan, maybe that's why they want public donations to help them fund a private business?

um7y1h83ge06nx

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

I wonder if they're business plan didn't convince a bank to give them a business loan, maybe that's why they want public donations to help them fund a private business?

I was wondering the same thing this morning when I read this but thought I might be a bit of a grouch if I said it.

I wish them well but I find the whole method of getting donations essentially from people to run a private business really strange. Yes I know you get some gifts depending on how much you contribute but it is pretty much donations.

I know of another thing like this where people ran a fundraising event in order to run another event. This other event had an admission charge and it was for profit (at least no-one said anything to the contrary). Again in that case I wondered why I would help sponsor people to run a business.

Then again maybe I'm just out of touch with business funding!

seachto7

I don't get this crowd funding model at all. What happened to the bank or credit union like most people do?

Best of luck to them though.

banie01

Amia Ancient Jockey wrote: »

I was wondering the same thing this morning when I read this but thought I might be a bit of a grouch if I said it.

+1!!
I agree, Crowdfunding does make sense in some instances.
Just look at the Pebble watch or similar, taking a product idea and allowing someone to gauge its consumer appeal and to mitigate prototyping and production costs against a gauranteed customer base.

But a crowd-funded teashop?
I know there's a want out there amongst us 30 somethings for a Java's replacement for a similar quirky spot that can make us cool again
But to expect people to contribute start-up costs for what will in essence be a pretentious coffee shop?
I wonder how quickly the traditional finance sources kicked this plan to the kerb?

Kess73

Fair play to them. It is a method that a lot of folk have used successfully to help finance or partially finance a venture.


Not sold on the match of concept and location, but they have an idea and want to run with it, and that is something I will always applaud someone for doing.

Given the current pricing of some of the units in Foxes Bow (rents and rates) I can see the attraction that location would hold for what they are trying to do, and if they can further reduce overheads by doing a lot of the work themselves (furnishings etc) and then raise some or all of their start up capital through crowd funding, then the risk to them is relatively low.

um7y1h83ge06nx

banie01 wrote: »

+1!!
I agree, Crowdfunding does make sense in some instances.
Just look at the Pebble watch or similar, taking a product idea and allowing someone to gauge its consumer appeal and to mitigate prototyping and production costs against a gauranteed customer base.

Exactly the same with games. Pay a reasonable amount to the project and get the game "free" when it's released, the same amount or a little less that you would pay if you buy if afterwards on Steam etc.

With that event I mentioned and this venture (vague with the description as I don't want to p*ss off people I know) I feel it is a little bit much. If a bunch of people gift you the money it allows you start a venture with very little risk and all turnover (well in the case of the event anyway) is profit. Still if you can get the cash it sounds like a no-brainer, any venture becomes worthwhile to explore even if it wouldn't normally be economically feasible.

Kess73

banie01 wrote: »

+1!!
I agree, Crowdfunding does make sense in some instances.
Just look at the Pebble watch or similar, taking a product idea and allowing someone to gauge its consumer appeal and to mitigate prototyping and production costs against a gauranteed customer base.

But a crowd-funded teashop?
I know there's a want out there amongst us 30 somethings for a Java's replacement for a similar quirky spot that can make us cool again
But to expect people to contribute start-up costs for what will in essence be a pretentious coffee shop?
I wonder how quickly the traditional finance sources kicked this plan to the kerb?

Shhhhhhh don't say it out loud. If a proper Javas replacement ever opens in Limerick I don't want others to know about it.

Original Javas was boss.


Drinks at Quins, then wander up to Javas around midnight. Ahh the past was good

banie01

Kess73 wrote: »

Drinks at Quins, then wander up to Javas around midnight. Ahh the past was good

See what I mean
Us elder statesmen knew how to party :P

Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy

They said on Facebook they'd do late opening hours til maybe 10 or 11 some nights, a godsend for me as I'm not a pub person at all and there isn't many alternatives open after 6. The only place I'd go to is the George but not inclinded to stay a long time.

seachto7

late hours could be good, go to a tea house instead of a pub. Would be a good spot for small gigs etc

padma

Sounds like a grand idea, but truthfully I see the place if it opens as a hangout for the friends of the proprietors.

seachto7

padma wrote: »

Sounds like a grand idea, but truthfully I see the place if it opens as a hangout for the friends of the proprietors.

Like the Blind Pig? :P

Parchment

I find it funny - they expect others to fund their idea. Honestly. Would someone like to pay me not to go to work tomorrow?

um7y1h83ge06nx

They have managed to get over 2800 Euro! No recession around here. Although they'll be hard pushed to get the other 3200 in 13 days unless there is a large "mystery" donation to bring it over the line.

ninty9er

I'm skeptical. They want to open a high cost business on a low budget. If I were a supplier I wouldn't be extending them any credit for 12 months at least (if they last that long).

Great idea, but I'm not sure of the execution.

um7y1h83ge06nx

Jaysus, they're at over €3700 now, that's about €900 collected in the last 2 days and 12 days left to go! Fair play to them.

I'm definitely in the wrong job.

At this rate they'll definitely succeed in getting the 6k even if they have to donate a bit themselves to hit the target.

I genuinely didn't think you could get start-up capital like that without paying back a loan or giving up some equity.

DeWinterZero

Their €155 off their target now and 4 days remaining. Hopefully I'll soon have a nice cafe 1 minute from my door.

fl4pj4ck

...that will last a month and a half

Insect Overlord

Not sure if cynicism or just defeatist. Either way, this thread is just full of it...

squonk

I'm amazed! In fairness the place does need a venture like this but if you can't stump up 6 grand yourself to take the risk, then it's not worth taking IMHO. Personally I think it's a bit cheeky crowdfunding something like that, but since they've reached their target almost, then I'm wrong obviously! I just hope they make a going concern of it anyway.

The top donation perk is sucky! For €600 you get a year's free coffee. For €1000 you get the machine named after you! Big woop! I'd take 2 years free coffee instead!

Pandiani

They have exceeded their target now.

bigpink

A nice coffee shop would be nice

What is is it?Just random people giving a donation?6 grand for free nothing wrong with that

Think theres another coffe shop opening up around there too

bigpink

https://www.facebook.com/cellardoorfoxsbow

banie01

Congratulations to the Stormy teacup and reaching their crowdfund goal...
I'm not a fan of it for this type of business as while raising funds for a fit out is one thing, generating supplier confidence in a bricks and mortar business when you are already mitigating your own exposure and costs is a worry.

That and having a very similar business opening up a few doors down....

bigpink wrote: »

https://www.facebook.com/cellardoorfoxsbow

Anyways enough of my naysaying
Good luck to all involved, in both business's!
Maybe being Niché will allow both to thrive.

vkid

best of luck to both of them. Not sure Foxes Bowe is a great location to be honest and really not sure about the basement of a pub for a coffee shop, certainly wouldn't where I'd go but hats off to anyone starting a new business.

banie01

vkid wrote: »

best of luck to both of them. Not sure Foxes Bowe is a great location to be honest and really not sure about the basement of a pub for a coffee shop, certainly wouldn't where I'd go but hats off to anyone starting a new business.

With regards to the basement located one.
There was previously a successful coffee shop based in there(pan-o-rama I think, but the name escapes me)many moons ago.

It is quite a big space with nice potential, in previous incarnations it was a dance club and many years ago a night club and the after hours hideout spot in Mcknights!

That said, the ventilation and plumbing will both be issues without some money being spent

vkid

banie01 wrote: »

With regards to the basement located one.
There was previously a successful coffee shop based in there(pan-o-rama I think, but the name escapes me)many moons ago.

It is quite a big space with nice potential, in previous incarnations it was a dance club and many years ago a night club and the after hours hideout spot in Mcknights!

That said, the ventilation and plumbing will both be issues without some money being spent

I've been there lots of times in some of its previous guises .I never remember a coffee shop there though. Its small and very dark and as I said not where I'd go for coffee. I kind of like watching the world go by with my cuppa jo and you ain't watching anything go by down there. Not trying to be negative, I take my hat off to anyone opening a new business, just my opinion.

seachto7

bigpink wrote: »

https://www.facebook.com/cellardoorfoxsbow

God almighty. This is going to be hipster central!!

I was going to say that the last thing Limerick needs is another bloody coffee shop.

What it needs is another decent mens clothes shop with some alternative type fashions. I'm not talking heavy metal clothing (but why not!), but an alternative from RI, Next, BTs....

Choice of clothes outside the norm in Limerick for men is non existent.

But I read that this shop will also be a vintage clothes shop. I hope they have some blokes stuff, but hopefully not all second hand. Some good new alternative clothes shop would be good , with different brands. For men!

Sgt Hartman

seachto7 wrote: »

God almighty. This is going to be hipster central!!

I was going to say that the last thing Limerick needs is another bloody coffee shop.

What it needs is another decent mens clothes shop with some alternative type fashions. I'm not talking heavy metal clothing (but why not!), but an alternative from RI, Next, BTs....

Choice of clothes outside the norm in Limerick for men is non existent.

But I read that this shop will also be a vintage clothes shop. I hope they have some blokes stuff, but hopefully not all second hand. Some good new alternative clothes shop would be good , with different brands. For men!

I'd say it'll be a hipster magnet alright. I wonder will it be anything like The Twisted Pepper in Abbey Street Dublin, that's a hipster paradise I was in there one evening a couple of weeks ago, there's a bar as well as a coffee joint in there. I was the only one in there having a beer, everyone else there was on coffee. The barmen had big beards, thick-rimmed glasses, check shirts and skinny pants.

Interesting to see what clothes they'll have. As you said I hope they do cool alternative stuff for men in there. If they do I'll be a regular customer. Johnny Moore's stall in the Market is the only place I can get cool t shirts since Nibanna in Foxe's Bow closed.

Pumpkinseeds

seachto7 wrote: »

God almighty. This is going to be hipster central!!

I was going to say that the last thing Limerick needs is another bloody coffee shop.

What it needs is another decent mens clothes shop with some alternative type fashions. I'm not talking heavy metal clothing (but why not!), but an alternative from RI, Next, BTs....

Choice of clothes outside the norm in Limerick for men is non existent.

But I read that this shop will also be a vintage clothes shop. I hope they have some blokes stuff, but hopefully not all second hand. Some good new alternative clothes shop would be good , with different brands. For men!

It's ironic given that years ago Foxes bow was where you went if you wanted alternative type fashions. I used to get a lot of stuff there in my younger days. Still have a great leather jacket I bought second hand in Modesty in '91

zulutango

I can see why the people behind this went down the crowd funding route.

It's the kind of business that won't make a huge amount of money, and the capital cost of setting it up could make it unviable. If they can somehow eliminate the set-up cost, then it may just make enough money to keep itself going.

I'm glad they're doing this, because it is definitely something that the city centre needs. This kind of thing, if it succeeds, will help generate a healthy late evening scene in the city centre that doesn't involve drinking. That'll in turn attract a different kind of person to the city, and maybe even live in the city, and perhaps in time will lead to a radical enough change in Limerick. I wish this venture success not for the sake of the owners, but for the sake of the city. It's a project that I would happily support if I was confident that those behind it were capable of carrying it off.

Sgt Hartman

The official opening is this eve, 5.30pm I think. Hope it's a success

Poxyshamrock

That's the other place I think. The Cellar Door, run by Maeve O'Donovan of You're A Star fame.

um7y1h83ge06nx

Any more on this?

Sgt Hartman

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

That's the other place I think. The Cellar Door, run by Maeve O'Donovan of You're A Star fame.

Oh right sorry, I got them mixed up.

Amia Ancient Jockey wrote: »

Any more on this?

I was up around Foxe's Bow last Saturday morning for a look with the nephew but the only coffee shop I saw there was The Cellar Door. Didn't see any sign of The Stormy Teacup there as of yet.
We tried out The Cellar Door for coffee and cake. It's certainly different alright with it's dimly lighted interior, tablecloths with Eastern designs and cool ambient music playing in the background. The girl serving in there was lovely and the banoffi cake was pretty good also. I wouldn't mind donating some of my own baking to the shop (I do a mean Nutella cake). Not sure whether they'd be up for that idea though.

Louche Lad

Sgt Hartman wrote: »

Oh right sorry, I got them mixed up.



I was up around Foxe's Bow last Saturday morning for a look with the nephew but the only coffee shop I saw there was The Cellar Door. Didn't see any sign of The Stormy Teacup there as of yet.
We tried out The Cellar Door for coffee and cake. It's certainly different alright with it's dimly lighted interior, tablecloths with Eastern designs and cool ambient music playing in the background. The girl serving in there was lovely and the banoffi cake was pretty good also. I wouldn't mind donating some of my own baking to the shop (I do a mean Nutella cake). Not sure whether they'd be up for that idea though.

Agree about the Cellar Door, great staff and music - I've been there twice now. Good thing is they're open quite late - can't remember what time it said on the board outside, maybe 8 or 9 p.m. - which means there is somewhere to go long after all the other coffee shops have closed at 5.30.