Summer Series - Downtown 202

Transcript

Welcome to Coffee Talk Summer Series, all about local venues.

I'm Sarah. And I'm T.J.

Happy Talk.

Summer Series is a podcast about venues in the Brian, Texas area.

Our onsite visits will give you a visual look at the venues

along with meeting the staff member,

hearing about what they can offer and information on how to book them.

Each venue offers a unique aspect to any event you might be hosting.

Each week, we're here to share, educate

and enlighten with what is available to you in your area. Hi.

How was very high pitched? Yes, I love it.

Today we're at downtown 202 with Whitney.

Hi. Hi.

How are you? Angry.

Thanks for having me. Course.

So you've got this wonderful event video.

It's there.

How long have you been doing this?

Like the 202. Okay.

My family purchased the building in 1996.

For a bit.

The Brazos Valley Children's Museum was housed in here.

I'm not sure the exact year, but I would say we've been doing the venue.

Started immediately after the Children's Museum went to a different place.

I would say, like, 20 years maybe.

It's been an avenue quite a while. Yes, ma'am.

All right, cool.

And you do weddings, corporate events, and we do a little bit of all of that.

It seems like lately we've gotten to doing a lot of birthday parties

and rehearsal dinners,

baby showers,

quinceanera is are very popular in this community.

We've done a lot of those we do do at weddings,

but they are smaller weddings and we can seat about 150 in our venue.

So it's not people that have a huge wedding

or they might only have the reception here that happens too.

So I love that any event and there are we've been doing more corporate trainings.

We've done a hair like a hair

product line, brought some beauticians in here and did a

color course or I don't remember what exactly they were doing

and then A&M departments have been utilizing our space.

I think a lot of people are

wanting something different than the usual stuff

that they've been doing in their own buildings, on campus and whatnot.

I think the AG Department's done quite a bit down here

We've enjoyed having them.

A lot of sorority and fraternity functions, mixers

and formals, things like that.

So we we have a lot of different variety of activities.

Oh, that's awesome.

That makes me sad, though.

I've been here almost 11 years and I'm just now finding out this place

and I love it. It's beautiful. I'm inside.

I love all the openness of it.

It's one of my favorite parts.

It's very easy to decorate in here.

It doesn't take a lot.

So people like that too.

You can just throw a cloth over our tables

that we offer and put a little candle or something,

you know, greenery and just the building, you know?

Does it require people to have to do a lot to decorate it?

It's fairly easy to decorate in here.

So somebody rented the space.

You provide tables, chairs

and yes, ma'am, that comes with use of the venue.

You can pick the key up in the morning or whenever you'd like

and on through the evening when you're a bit indoors.

We have tables and chairs and they can put them out how they want.

And yes, but that's what the venue rental comes with.

We don't

I sometimes think

we should get into offering more catering and decorating type services, but

people do like being able to do their own thing.

And it's not, you know, requiring you to use our food or our vendors or whatnot.

They like that our space.

We don't have a lot of restrictions as far as we don't have any.

Actually, as far as that goes, you can use your whoever you want.

You can cook your food if you want I agree.

We don't care.

We want it to be comfortable for you and fit their budget.

And so but some people like

a little bit more so we do have a few party planners

that I can put people in contact with if they literally want a turnkey event

just to you know, show up.

And the food is here, the tables are out.

We do have I can you know, there's a few people that I can put them

in contact with that offer, you know, that sort of thing.

So it's very trusting in this community.

This isn't the first place where it's like, here's the key, go help.

Like let yourself in. Of course, it's not like that at A&M.

We don't trust anyone. Apparently,

but it's really nice because it does it makes it easier for them.

They can come when they need to. They can leave when they need to.

You don't have to have staff here if you do too.

So if for example, if you had an evening of

if there was a reception here, is there like an after hours numbers

if anything happens is how do you like how do they continue today?

You have my contact information I literally live very close.

I can be here 2 minutes probably.

But honestly, that's never happened.

I mean, I'm sorry, I'm glad it has.

I'm not trying, but that's a universe.

I just wondered, you know, like lock up when they leave

and if they forget something, they would have to get it the next day.

Because they leave out the side door and hang the key.

And, you know, like there's a little protocol of closing up and

but so far, we have not had problems.

I wouldn't.

And we do like with some of the student organizations, I'll be honest,

we do have them if they're having alcohol they have to hire security

or have an advisor of their student organization.

President.

I do like I don't we want everyone here to be, you know, safe and whatnot.

And even

not just

student organizations, anyone that's, you know, serving alcohol

we need them to hire an off duty officer or a security company

with people to come just to make, you know, it's yeah.

I think well, most of venues in town would require that.

I don't believe that just any any event insurance.

You require that for rentals.

We don't we don't know That's nice.

I'm hearing that. That's an important thing.

I feel like

we've been very fortunate that we've not ever had it where it is now.

It can be it can be very expensive.

So I just didn't know because some venues require to I just didn't know. Yes.

So that's a good question. We get asked that quite a bit.

It's definitely deterred me from like looking at places when I'm like,

this isn't a major, you know, like we're not it's not going to be like a keg party

or anything.

Yes. We're not planning on breaking anything.

Right.

And this place, I mean, there's not a lot that can be damaged.

I mean, you can't, right?

If you can reach up there, congratulations.

But you know, it's we just don't I don't know,

maybe we are very trusting, but that's not a bad thing.

I don't think that's a negative thing. I think it's great.

It gives you very much that homey feel it almost feels like instant.

You sound cheesy, but it sounds like a venue.

Airbnb, you know what I mean?

Like, you check the keys out, come and do that.

I mean, that could be a thing. Who knows?

But I think that's awesome.

I mean, I do try to make me not friends,

but I try to get to know the people that I lease from us, the space.

And so they feel comfortable with me and our relation ship.

And so I think it's

like a kind of a mutual respect that we try to create with people.

And we want this to,

you know, feel like their own and they're using, you know, people

I just think it's so far, it's worked out for us in a positive way.

Let's go. Yes.

What I mean, 20 years in business, I would think you're doing something right.

Probably all the things right at this point, right? Well, it's that.

And this Saturday, in fact, they the city now allows you to

I guess, pay to get a permit and you can close part of this little street off.

So someone had their like ceremony out in the street.

And then the reception in here is really a neat.

Wow, I idea.

Yeah. You go to the city making more money.

Yeah, they did. And I don't blame them.

They had to put little cones out.

I mean, whatever the that's awesome experience.

Yeah. Because what I'm trying to say but no, it was really fun.

I didn't

personally I didn't know the city did that.

The person that's renting it for me figure that all out.

And she told me she's like, you just need to sign this.

I'm like, Well, okay.

But it turned out really nice.

Yeah, it was really fun. They they had fun.

So that's great, huh?

The more you know, right?

Yeah, I, I learned something from my people that read the customer.

I've learned a lot today

about how very little I come past a certain distance, and frankly.

Oh, you're missing.

I am missing out a lot.

You know, I is in doubt.

You are correct.

A lot of folks, I have been down here more in the last two years

than I have been in the last ten, 11 years I've been here.

I live down an old horn road. Like I drive through here all the time.

I know.

Oh, yeah. So I.

I came here a lot when I worked at KDC.

I came down here and ate lunch a lot, and we would come shop in LA.

But years ago, it's changed since then.

Years ago.

But, yes, a lot of things have changed, but,

yeah, no, I mean, I've just never, I've never actually come

and I've been here on a weekend when there's so much going on.

There's a lot to do.

I try to avoid crowds. Yeah.

So, like, if somebody wanted to have a meeting in here

and then go have lunch town

and like, that's something that they could do.

Do you have just rounds or do you have, like, the rectangles?

We have rounds and ten a

ten of the big

rounds and then we have

four or five long rectangle tables.

The buffet style and then we have some round cocktail height tables.

I think four or five of those people like to put those out.

Um, what I'm thinking

would be a really good idea and I'm so I'm going to try to talk to the

some other venues in downtown because we really have some good ones.

Downtown is people want to have breakout rooms

or a conference that like, I think they need multiple spaces

and so which we really don't, we can't provide that here.

It's part like even this month I've had to A&M groups wanting

to do these breakout things and I'm like,

you can come look, but I don't think it will work here.

But I don't know if you're a bit maybe you can figure out how to make it work.

You know, I want to have you all I would love to

for y'all to be in our space, but they could like do that.

They could have something in this and then something over it.

Quite an exchange and then something down at the Ice House,

something at Cotton Reserve or whatever reserve at Cottonwood, I think.

And like people, if I was attending a conference,

I would like that to not sit in one space to get up and move around.

Yeah.

And then they cause so many places to eat lunch and destination.

Brandon, you all talk about that, that we could promote that.

I do think we still need to try to do that because of a wonderful venue

who's down to even restaurants that probably would want to participate

you know, I think

because we do have so much downtown, we're not definitely the only venue.

There's lots of really wonderful venues and I think that's a really good

niche to push just because even with being a venue

on campus, even we don't have enough breakout spaces.

And there's only, what, like three locations?

The MSI, the hotel and conference center and maybe Kyle Field, a few sweeps, right?

But it's not ideal.

And so there's not a lot of venues even on campus

or even in the surrounding area that has enough breakout spaces.

None of the hotels do.

I mean, Hilton might be one of the only ones.

So I think, yes, I agree with you.

If you could partner with some of the other venues here.

Yeah, I'm going to work on doing that because like I said,

I have had two calls this month about that and I'm like,

I don't

think we have records I never want to tell someone.

No, but I'm kind of like, I don't know if we can make that work.

Yeah, come look.

They'd have to then try bring two walls instead of three spaces.

Yeah. And some people do.

If this space is too big for them, then Bill and party time.

Reynolds has this curtain thing that they will pipe and dream

like they have made for our venue. And oh, well.

So I tell them if, you know, if you want to shut that off

or make it more intimate some way so I mean, if you weren't allowed

breakout groups, maybe you could some way make, I don't know, but

who knows?

I think it's gonna build on and grow it.

And, but yeah, I mean, I think people would like to be able

to get out and walk downtown between their meetings and

different cities more

inspiring down here than just a hotel or conference, right?

Like, Oh yeah.

Well, I've got three right here that are really close the sale depot and

cotton and right across the street

and then I think pop operas even might have a party room.

They do have something. I believe so. Yeah,

yeah.

What's your capacity like for fire code?

Two 50. Okay.

Oh, yeah. I think I definitely could.

Yeah.

If they're willing to rent the pipe and drive,

they get totally new breakouts in here. Yeah.

And then just depending on their whatever layout they want.

Yeah.

Do you all use any kind of booking platform or do they just email you?

We have you can go through our, our website

and it has booking capabilities there.

It'll take credit card payment

or if they

don't choose, some people just email me and then they come tour.

Then I just, you know, book out for them and they want to pay

with a check or whatever.

We just require a half deposit to reserve the day

and then the balance is due 30 days prior to your event.

So how do you do that with A&M entities?

Oh, they

get a groove and or through their process

and then they issue checks or some departments have credit cards

and they can book online using their current, I guess, A&M credit card.

But some, like some of the student organizations, they have to go through.

Oh yeah, whatever that.

So yeah.

Their financial center.

Yes, and they just mail us a check and I work with them.

I mean I,

I just book it on the back side for them and because it won't let you book

without payment.

So I just do it for them and, and I mean I know I am going to pay.

Yeah.

It might not always be timely, but they're good for it.

Yes, they do. Send a check eventually.

So yeah, it's good enough, but it's fairly simple.

It's going to do so when somebody reserve the space.

Is it an all day rental fee or is it 4 hours, 6 hours, 8 hours.

And we just

we can only do one of it in here a day, so you just get it the whole time.

I don't have the staff really to clean in between and

I just think and also people think something's going to take 4 hours

and it takes six or eight, you know, like they don't really

like I'm like they're like, oh, I want to have a baby shower.

Only need it from two to three.

I'm like, well, you have to decorate and then have your bed

and then clean up and get all your guests out.

That's really not possible.

You know?

I mean, so we just do one event a day.

So yes, we we

let's say like around

10:00, you could get the key, but if you needed it earlier,

I can be accommodating just whatever the person needs.

And then, you know,

like I said, we only have one event a day, so you can go to midnight

1:00 in the morning, like just by the next morning be out.

Yeah.

So we, we try to make clear, try to be flexible

and accommodate in here downtown to or to we want everyone to be,

have a successful event, be happy and enjoy the space.

So I try to just, you know, work with people with whatever they need

to help be helpful.

So that's good. That's awesome. Yeah.

I miss our days of doing one of it a day.

Sorry.

Yeah, we all have to do lots of we don't have to,

but I try to be accommodating and if we can do it, then I book it. Yes.

Sometimes we'll do three of insanity, sometimes for just depends on that.

I haven't gotten to the for yet. Not you, but me.

I did it once.

Oh, that's way too much.

Well, we have three banquet spaces in two auditoriums, so we can do,

you know, a morning auditorium, even auditorium, and then, you know,

two lunches simultaneously.

If they're using the same caterer, it's not ideal.

And it's stressful when you have to foot the room and reset for the next day.

But yes, T.J. keeps us very booked.

Get the average to average to two to three

when we're super busy.

Our busy season. Yes, two to three.

What is y'all's business?

Oh, mid August, September

used to be early, so in the fall.

Well, and then you got it through the end of January.

Trey, y'all are going to get to experience it.

So near the end of January, all their

all the way through the beginning part of me

is usually except for spring break, but we're usually swamped in the spring.

In the fall starts a lot earlier than it used to.

Used to be really mid September into early November.

And now it's pretty much all of August, September and early October

and then scattered throughout the summer.

In the summer, we stay pretty busy.

Yeah, the summers dies down because most of what we do is

and and related and so a lot of people leave.

Yes. They're not they're not as active during the summer and

well things so they take their time with us

and showing us your beautiful space or.

Yeah, sorry I love it.

Thanks for joining us this week on Coffee Talk Summer Series.

Make sure to visit our website app scam you to you

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You'll never miss an episode while you're at it.

If you enjoy the show, tell your friends about us

or just drop us a comment and let us know how we're doing.

And if there's a local space, we should check out I'm Sarah.

And I'm T.J. Thanks for listening.

Summer Series - Downtown 202

Whitney Wright

Sarah Chrastecky

Sarah Dubey

Tracy "TJ" Hefti

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