Interesting piece in Newsday about a Long Island, New York, ice cream parlor called Last Licks “that bills itself as ‘a sports bar for kids,’ its walls festooned with pennants and autographed photos of athletes….
“This kind of bar is strictly G-rated. You won't find beers in frosty mugs and a bowl of peanuts on the counter, illuminated only by the blue glare of television sets. Instead, the frostiest things available at the bright storefront are the ice cream sodas, and the peanuts are found mostly on top of sundaes.”
The unit was opened by Brandon Steiner, one of the owners of a sports memorabilia company, who said he saw a way to appeal to kids’ sports enthusiasms as well as to make money – the store generates close to a million dollars a year in sales.
And, because all the memorabilia on display at Last Licks, Steiner is hoping to turn kids into collectors…and that when they’re older, they’ll spend a lot more money with his memorabilia company.
“This kind of bar is strictly G-rated. You won't find beers in frosty mugs and a bowl of peanuts on the counter, illuminated only by the blue glare of television sets. Instead, the frostiest things available at the bright storefront are the ice cream sodas, and the peanuts are found mostly on top of sundaes.”
The unit was opened by Brandon Steiner, one of the owners of a sports memorabilia company, who said he saw a way to appeal to kids’ sports enthusiasms as well as to make money – the store generates close to a million dollars a year in sales.
And, because all the memorabilia on display at Last Licks, Steiner is hoping to turn kids into collectors…and that when they’re older, they’ll spend a lot more money with his memorabilia company.
- KC's View:
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From a business point of view, this seems brilliant because it creates something that is new and yet trades on old impulses.
As a parent, though, we’re a little appalled. When we were young, autographs were personal and special. Too many kids seem them today as a business opportunity and investment.
A little bit of childhood, lost.
