

Ask HN: What pop-up store would you create with free rent for a summer? - rms

You have a large commercial space available for a summer in the Bay Area, with free rent and no restrictions. What kind of store or space would you create?I'd be interested in hearing both profit maximizing and community maximizing ideas.
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JoeCortopassi
Easy. Don't try and make a store that will turn a profit that same summer, use
it to build connections. Throw a party/conference/hack-a-thon once every
couple of weeks, maybe even some sort of tournament. By the end of summer, you
will know everybody in your area that shares the same interest as you, and
will never have problems finding work/co-workers/advisors. Those connections
will be far more valuable long-term than whatever profit maximizing scheme you
can think of and implement over a 2-3 month span

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mattblalock
See if you can sell produce. I've heard amazing stories about people finding
bizarre corners where folks love to buy fresh veggies and fruits... usually
90% residential.

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ghurlman
What are the demographics of the area? Peak foot traffic times? Is the area a
destination on its own?

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rms
It's on an arterial road in a mostly residential neighborhood with no real
foot traffic except for a bar on the next block, and a double gas station
corner two blocks up on the other side, but still in a very walkable
neighborhood near public transit. So it's not exactly well suited to a pop-up
store, it's just legal to do it and a pretty good location otherwise... it's
just the kind of place people mostly drive past without stopping.

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tobylane
Something drivers want, like refreshments - water, non-alcoholic bear, iced
tea.

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creativeone
Sell iPhone cases. Buy them for $1 and sell them for $10-40

