An interesting fact

It was exactly one year ago this week that I contacted my (now ex-) real estate broker to initiate the search for a space. I never would have believed then that it would have taken a year to find one.

Looking back, it's not as surprising. Each near miss taught me a lot, I don't think I was really ready until now. Funny considering that the bulk of the learning still lies ahead.

The historic moment arrives

Hi Everyone.

FINALLY!

Voicebox officially has a home at 2112 NW Hoyt, Portland, OR 97210. The lease was signed and keys transferred yesterday afternoon. Kanpai!


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Of all the spaces that have come and gone, this one is easily the best fit. What do we get?

• A hopping, entertainment oriented neighborhood. The strips along NW 21st and 23rd Streets are filled with bars and restaurants spanning sytles from divey to upscale. The neighborhood is on everyone's destination shortlist. The neighborhood also has the densest population of 21-40 year olds in all of Portland and the average income is higher compared to other districts. The local businesses have a buzz, even on typically "slow" Monday or Tuesday nights.
• A space that's ready to go. The previous tenant was the Tao of Tea Teahouse. They left behind two ADA restrooms, all the kitchen plumbing, and a 5-ton HVAC system. It's also an existing "A2" occupancy class, which means Voicebox can move in without undergoing the arduous "Change of Occupancy" process. The 12.5' ceilings don't require dropping and much of the electric work is also in place. All of this adds up to almost $40,000 savings in start-up costs.
• Of course the above advantages come at a cost. The rent is higher than any other space I've considered. Much of the buildout savings goes towards bolstering cash reserves -- making up for the higher rent's reduced margin of error. In the long run, the higher rent is justified by the good location.

I'm sure you're curious about the floorplan. You can download it here:
So what's next? A lot.

As you can imagine, after all this time, the contractors were eager to get started. So we did. Today. More on that soon. I'll do my best to post regular updates on the build. The idea is to be finished and ready to open doors to the public by mid-October -- with a Grand Opening celebration to follow shortly thereafter. Christmas is a big time for karaoke parties (check out the shark fins) and I want to be open in enough time to get bookings.

Stay tuned.

Logo home stretch and letterhead first pass

Here's the 95% complete logo. I'm very excited. See if you can notice the improvements since the last version.



Also, here's a link the first letterhead prototype:

New logo revisions

Hey Gang,

Here's a whole sheet of new logo ideas. I'd love your feedback, just click the comments link below.

(hopefully this blog will spare everyone the email swarms)

Click for the bigger version:



I could explain more, but I'd rather hear what you have to say first.

VoiceBox Development Blog

I'll be using this blog to chronicle developments as VoiceBox gets off the ground.