Austin, Texas is home to many gamers, gaming companies, and an ever growing number of tech industries. So why is there currently no place for gamers to go and watch the games that they want while getting served food and drink? Why is it so difficult to set up events to watch major gaming events like LCS or Blizzcon? I want to solve this problem.
What does AFK have to offer Austin?
- A permanent home for Barcraft and other gaming events!
- Craft beer on tap, and fresh food made to order.
- A place for Texas gamers to get out and gather, and watch their favorite professional gamers all in one spot!
You might be asking yourself, this all sounds well and good, but who is the man behind the curtain, so to speak? My name's Josh, and I have been a gamer first and foremost as far back as I can remember. My professional experiences have been varied and colorful, with experience in food service, alcohol, food preparation, tech industries, entertainment, advertising, customer service, and even security. Two of my greatest loves are food and gaming, and I'm bursting with excitement over the chance to not only combine the two, but make people happy doing it. I know from experience that if you take care of the people, the people will take care of you.
I have many plans for what the future of AFK could hold, but for now, I just need help making a business that can stand on it's own on the simple grounds of being a place that gamers from all over would love to hang out at or plan large gatherings.
Why IndieGoGo?
Quite frankly, while I'm willing to put everything I have into building this business, property in Austin is very expensive. I have the money to get things to sell, but I need a place to sell it. I found a location near the UT campus that perfectly suits my needs and the needs of many Austin gamers of drinking age (Close proximity to student housing, nearby bus stop, proper zoning for alcohol distribution, high foot traffic, etc.) but I still need to be able to afford it.
Also, any money I receive that goes over the stated goal will go towards making AFK a much better experience for everyone! Better TVs for streaming, better food, a better barfront, and better selection of beer are all planned stretch goals that I would use profits from the bar to improve, but if I can get the money from this campaign these things will come in a much shorter time span!
Also, to show people how serious I am about this, if I don't get the bare minimum amount needed to open, I get nothing. I lose. Good day sir.
That's right. If I don't get the bare minimum of $50,000, it all goes back to the donors. I would feel awful taking the money that people had offered in good faith and being unable to fulfill my promises.
However, I don't think it will come to that, because I believe in the gaming community, and I believe that there are many people who want the kind of experience that I have to offer. This is especially true since I'm offering some pretty sweet swag for donors!
Other Ways You Can Help
Donating money, while greatly appreciated, isn't the only way you can help out. If you want to be a part of AFK's future but just don't have the funds, there are a few things you can do to help!
- Tell your friends. Tell your boss. Tell your family. Tell your coworkers. Tell your dog. Tell anyone who will listen about this campaign and help spread the word! (Don't really tell your dog.)
- Share this campaign on your own website, Facebook, Twitter, etc., etc.. The more people that see it, the better!
- Keep checking back to this page for updates! I'm going to keep adding information to keep people interested and let them know more about the project!
Thank you for your time, and I hope we can build something amazing!