I now own 1/6 of Wicked Grounds. That's pretty f'in cool. If you want to know what it is you can shove the name together and put a www in the front and a .com on the end and you will see the nebulous new website. 🙂
I now own 1/6 of Wicked Grounds. That's pretty f'in cool. If you want to know what it is you can shove the name together and put a www in the front and a .com on the end and you will see the nebulous new website. 🙂
That is way cool. Congratulations!
That is way cool. Congratulations!
That’s interesting. I hope it becomes a good thing for you. I was just talking with a friend a couple days ago about trips to San Francisco (I’ve only been once, but it was memorable) and experiences there.
Unfortunately she had a story to tell that did not reflect well on Wicked Grounds. Apparently she and her submissive male partner were there for Folsom (they had a booth). It had been a long hot day and they had been in ‘wardrobe’ all day long. They went back to their hotel and changed into some more comfortable, casual clothes and then went to Wicked Grounds for refreshment. When they went up looking for service, one of the staff referred to her (not discreetly either) as “A fucking vanilla!” and she could not get waited on. So not surprisingly, they left, and promised themselves never to return. It’s safe to say that she was neither sorry nor surprised to hear that Wicked Grounds had gone under.
If you’re going to be part of management/ownership of the revived enterprise, you might want to share this story with your team as something that (a) NEVER should have happened, and (b) should NEVER EVER happen again. It might seem like a cheap thrill to a staff person to discriminate in service against someone who looks like they don’t belong, but you cannot judge a book by its cover. It’s useful to remember for example, that old school leather bottoms have to *earn* their leathers piece by piece, and start out with nothing but blue jeans, a white t-shirt, sneakers and a canvas belt. You can not tell a leatherman by looking at his clothes.
I really enjoyed the time that we had our own kinky cafe here in Seattle, ‘Beyond the Edge’ cafe, and was actively involved in it from beginning to end. I know it can be challenging to deal with the folks who are new, curious, insecure, unclear on the concepts or unsure why they are there. But those are the people you want to make feel *most* welcome and encourage to keep coming back. If you create a venue that’s ‘*By* the cool people *for* the cool people’, all those people with money to spend who aren’t sure if they’re cool enough yet will go spend it somewhere else. Makes for a tough business model to sustain, you know?
Anyway, I’m sure you understand this and you’re most certainly not responsible for what happened before you became involved–but it’s certainly possible that this attitude might be part of the reason why Wicked Grounds had trouble staying open before, and it would be wise not to allow those mistakes to be repeated. Protect your investment, dear! 🙂
As I’ve said before in other venues, (and you’re welcome to borrow this), ‘It matters not in the slightest how you are dressed if you’ve got a black leather brain.’
Good luck, and I hope this time Wicked Grounds grows wings and stays aloft for good…on the basis of treating all of their customers right, not just the ones who ‘look the part’.
Just a quick one, as another new partial owner –
Staff attitude, especially being welcoming to everyone, is something very important to me/us. We are aware of certain problems in the previous incarnation, and are trying very hard to avoid repeating them. (Instead, we’ll make ALL NEW mistakes!)
And the other thing I’m saying to everyone that has had previous problems: if you have, or hear of, problems from this time around, please, please, please tell us/me. We’re trying very hard, but we won’t be perfect, and we need to know what’s going wrong.
Just a quick one, as another new partial owner –
Staff attitude, especially being welcoming to everyone, is something very important to me/us. We are aware of certain problems in the previous incarnation, and are trying very hard to avoid repeating them. (Instead, we’ll make ALL NEW mistakes!)
And the other thing I’m saying to everyone that has had previous problems: if you have, or hear of, problems from this time around, please, please, please tell us/me. We’re trying very hard, but we won’t be perfect, and we need to know what’s going wrong.
Thank you so much for the feedback. We are already running into issues because we did not rehire the entire staff because we need to start fresh. People feel like we are singling people out and bullying. No, we are just trying to start fresh. This is going to be hard.
be moral
and just in your dealings
and the Almighty shant smite thee.
you don’t want to be any, old successful place.
you do want to be a successful place.
good luck!
have fun, too.
be moral
and just in your dealings
and the Almighty shant smite thee.
you don’t want to be any, old successful place.
you do want to be a successful place.
good luck!
have fun, too.
Yeah, with a previously established business, you’re purchasing the history as well as the place. And sometimes history doesn’t want to let go. 🙂 But you need to keep what was good and shed what wasn’t on your way to starting over fresh and sometimes you have to be hardnosed about it. Which I know you can do. 😉
I have no predisposition towards Wicked Grounds, last time I was in SF it didn’t exist, and shortly after I learned about it, it ceased to exist. But hearing a story like that made me think that I probably wouldn’t be too inclined to go there if I had the opportunity. Word of mouth is a double-edged sword, you can live by it or die by it.
I love the idea of more kink-friendly venues in the world, especially ones that aren’t bars. I’m wishing you lots of luck this time around!
Yeah, with a previously established business, you’re purchasing the history as well as the place. And sometimes history doesn’t want to let go. 🙂 But you need to keep what was good and shed what wasn’t on your way to starting over fresh and sometimes you have to be hardnosed about it. Which I know you can do. 😉
I have no predisposition towards Wicked Grounds, last time I was in SF it didn’t exist, and shortly after I learned about it, it ceased to exist. But hearing a story like that made me think that I probably wouldn’t be too inclined to go there if I had the opportunity. Word of mouth is a double-edged sword, you can live by it or die by it.
I love the idea of more kink-friendly venues in the world, especially ones that aren’t bars. I’m wishing you lots of luck this time around!
Thank you so much for the feedback. We are already running into issues because we did not rehire the entire staff because we need to start fresh. People feel like we are singling people out and bullying. No, we are just trying to start fresh. This is going to be hard.
That’s interesting. I hope it becomes a good thing for you. I was just talking with a friend a couple days ago about trips to San Francisco (I’ve only been once, but it was memorable) and experiences there.
Unfortunately she had a story to tell that did not reflect well on Wicked Grounds. Apparently she and her submissive male partner were there for Folsom (they had a booth). It had been a long hot day and they had been in ‘wardrobe’ all day long. They went back to their hotel and changed into some more comfortable, casual clothes and then went to Wicked Grounds for refreshment. When they went up looking for service, one of the staff referred to her (not discreetly either) as “A fucking vanilla!” and she could not get waited on. So not surprisingly, they left, and promised themselves never to return. It’s safe to say that she was neither sorry nor surprised to hear that Wicked Grounds had gone under.
If you’re going to be part of management/ownership of the revived enterprise, you might want to share this story with your team as something that (a) NEVER should have happened, and (b) should NEVER EVER happen again. It might seem like a cheap thrill to a staff person to discriminate in service against someone who looks like they don’t belong, but you cannot judge a book by its cover. It’s useful to remember for example, that old school leather bottoms have to *earn* their leathers piece by piece, and start out with nothing but blue jeans, a white t-shirt, sneakers and a canvas belt. You can not tell a leatherman by looking at his clothes.
I really enjoyed the time that we had our own kinky cafe here in Seattle, ‘Beyond the Edge’ cafe, and was actively involved in it from beginning to end. I know it can be challenging to deal with the folks who are new, curious, insecure, unclear on the concepts or unsure why they are there. But those are the people you want to make feel *most* welcome and encourage to keep coming back. If you create a venue that’s ‘*By* the cool people *for* the cool people’, all those people with money to spend who aren’t sure if they’re cool enough yet will go spend it somewhere else. Makes for a tough business model to sustain, you know?
Anyway, I’m sure you understand this and you’re most certainly not responsible for what happened before you became involved–but it’s certainly possible that this attitude might be part of the reason why Wicked Grounds had trouble staying open before, and it would be wise not to allow those mistakes to be repeated. Protect your investment, dear! 🙂
As I’ve said before in other venues, (and you’re welcome to borrow this), ‘It matters not in the slightest how you are dressed if you’ve got a black leather brain.’
Good luck, and I hope this time Wicked Grounds grows wings and stays aloft for good…on the basis of treating all of their customers right, not just the ones who ‘look the part’.
i’ll take mine black?
i’ll take mine black?
Nice! That is good news!
Nice! That is good news!
Cool! Who else is involved… can you say?
I’m going to say that Almus and Dana are being loud about also being owners. There are two other people who so far have given money but very little input. I don’t know what to say about them. They don’t want their names on the website and they aren’t always showing up for meetings. So uhm, apparently Almus, Dana, and I are going to be the active helpers. Woo?
I’m going to be working on Saturdays. 🙂
Thanks. And cool!
Thanks. And cool!
I’m going to say that Almus and Dana are being loud about also being owners. There are two other people who so far have given money but very little input. I don’t know what to say about them. They don’t want their names on the website and they aren’t always showing up for meetings. So uhm, apparently Almus, Dana, and I are going to be the active helpers. Woo?
I’m going to be working on Saturdays. 🙂
Cool! Who else is involved… can you say?
Great news!
Great news!
Wow… this is cool.
I know there’s going to be some drama, I hope it doesn’t derail your efforts.
I didn’t often go to WG mostly cause I didn’t often go to SF. However I did like stopping in, getting tea and finding a place to sit with slave at my feet. Can’t do that at a Starbucks.
Good luck!
but…
i thought the people
working a SBucks
*were* slaves.
but…
i thought the people
working a SBucks
*were* slaves.
Wow… this is cool.
I know there’s going to be some drama, I hope it doesn’t derail your efforts.
I didn’t often go to WG mostly cause I didn’t often go to SF. However I did like stopping in, getting tea and finding a place to sit with slave at my feet. Can’t do that at a Starbucks.
Good luck!
On the subject of the drama around not rehiring certain people …
I know you well enough to know that you’re probably well aware that saying anything (much) about why you have or have not rehired someone is Not A Good Idea, legally. I also know you are advice-averse, unless it’s been requested.
I don’t know your co-owners, though, so I’ll state here: if you, individually, or you, collectively, would ever want to bounce an employee relations question off someone who is a 20+ yr, MS HRM, SPHR professional, you know where to find me. My consulting fee would be a mint chocolate chip soy shake, assuming they’re still on the menu. 😀
On the subject of the drama around not rehiring certain people …
I know you well enough to know that you’re probably well aware that saying anything (much) about why you have or have not rehired someone is Not A Good Idea, legally. I also know you are advice-averse, unless it’s been requested.
I don’t know your co-owners, though, so I’ll state here: if you, individually, or you, collectively, would ever want to bounce an employee relations question off someone who is a 20+ yr, MS HRM, SPHR professional, you know where to find me. My consulting fee would be a mint chocolate chip soy shake, assuming they’re still on the menu. 😀