My local comic shop went from empty to packed after they started a weekly trivia night

Six months ago, I could walk into The Panel on a Wednesday and maybe see two other people. Last night, there were over thirty of us crammed in there for their new trivia contest. The owner, Mike, said he started it because he wanted a reason for people to hang out, not just grab their pulls and leave. Now the same faces show up every week, and we actually talk about story arcs and artists instead of just standing in silence. It's a small thing, but it totally changed the vibe of the place. Has anyone else seen a shop turn things around with something simple like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

parker_foster531mo ago

Thirty people for trivia is cool and all, but it's still just a trivia night. It's not like the shop is selling out of books or anything. People show up for free stuff and to hang out, then they leave. Does that actually pay the rent? I've seen places try this stuff and it fizzles out once the novelty wears off. It's a fun weekly thing, not some big turnaround.

barbaragarcia1mo ago

We had the same worry at my cafe last year. The key was turning trivia into a regular crowd that buys drinks all night. We made a rule that teams had to order something each round, even just a soda. It added up, and now trivia covers two staff shifts and our extra food order. It’s not about selling out, it’s about building a habit. Those thirty people become twenty-five steady customers who come in on other days too.