Hey, we have a campus bar! Have you heard? Do you care? Odds are, you don’t, because on any given night—or mid-afternoon—Colorado Mesa University’s campus bar does not seem to be the happening spot. You can actually buy alcohol on this campus, a school that is known for partying, and yet the place is deader than an Irish wake.
Although there likely does not seem to be any sign of the place making vast improvements anytime soon, I had a few thoughts on how to find the point of The Point.
Build the wall
Okay, so, it’s a different wall here, but I believe the inherent issue with The Point, and the theme I will keep getting back to, is the atmosphere of the room. You’ve got a serious culture shock here in the form of a bar, game room, restaurant and arcade. Who wants to drink in a place like that? Well, I suppose lots of people do, but the people who come to The Point for a beer tend not to overlap with those playing Mortal Kombat.
In order for both places to thrive, you’ll need to build a wall. Separate the drinking area from those playing video games and allow the two rooms to form their own identity. Besides, you know how unnerving it is to drink in a place with harsh fluorescent lighting? You probably don’t, because you haven’t been to The Point.
Dim the lights and get your own music
As I was briefly mentioned above, The Point needs to dim the lights and embrace an actual bar atmosphere. It doesn’t necessarily need to be Charlie Dwellington’s, but people left a lecture hall to come to this bar and drink; don’t make them feel like they’re still there.
Once that wall is built up, get your own music. Is it jazz? Is it indie rock? Figure it out, because The Point’s music is usually up to who is running the desk and that’s a different kind of whiplash. People like to drink in a place they’re comfortable. Can’t do that if the music is metal one day and country the next.
Ditch the food
Okay, so, I’m sure this was done in earnest, but who’s idea was it to serve overpriced food in the same building as Chick-fil-A and the actual cafeteria? Stick to what people are there for: drinks! I’m sorry, but I’m guessing the culinary students aren’t working behind the counter, so I’m pretty sure I can make this same food a lot cheaper at home.
With the resources available, you can either be a bar or a restaurant: embrace one. Also, if you’re going to have a snack menu, pick a theme! Welcome to The Point, we’ve got lava cakes, pizza and quesadillas. It’s like you’re at a Dominos inside of a Taco Bell, without the low prices.
Ditch the wine
Wine. Really? Wine? College students only drink wine when they’re at home or when they’ve put the whole bag in their fast food cup. They aren’t coming to The Point for a quiet glass of merlot over the soothing sounds of billiards, Call of Duty and whatever electro music the front desk picked out. Stick to beer, and at the very least, cut down on the wine options, we don’t need six of them.
Figure out the beer
The beer should be the one thing everyone comes to The Point for. They can’t do mixed drinks since that would require a different liquor license, so they need to get good at beer. Pick a brewer and form a connection with them. Maybe it is Kannah, maybe it is Palisade.
But, if you can do that, you may be able to get cheaper costs. Currently, The Point is charging prices for a busy night when there may be one other person there. If the beer is expensive, the food isn’t incredible and the atmosphere is weird, what are you selling?
The hours
I honestly don’t know how to fix this one. The Point closes pretty early in the day, which is hard because people usually don’t drink that early (except for finals week). However, with these changes, its possible that people may want to stay later. Nonetheless, the hours are weird and inconsistent.
I have a lot more thoughts on this subject, mostly because I would love to go to a campus bar. The Point should be an alternative to the library. A place for people to study and socialize on campus. The music doesn’t need to be loud, it doesn’t need to be a club. But, I know I’m itching for a place to only drink with CMU students and less Grand Junction locals. Make The Point CMU’s own.
