Students create an online solution to long bar lines
WATERLOO (CUP) — Savvy night clubbers in several Ontario university towns have a new online tool to help the beat the long, and often cold, lineup.
With just the click of a mouse, people can access www.BeatTheBarLine.com to get a first-hand look at the line-ups outside the bar and even the crowded, or not-so-crowded, dance floor, in the comfort of their very own home.
The website displays their featured venues, their hours of operation and a live view via webcam of the lines outside or inside the club. The site also provides phone numbers for taxies in each area.
Andrew Dick, the creator of this innovative website, said that he and a friend from the University of Western Ontario, Peter Whitby, came up with the idea and are now starting to reap some profits from the venture.
Even bar owners are starting to offer positive feedback on the site. Brent Campbell, the owner of Vault Lounge in Waterloo, said, “BeatTheBarLine.com is a great website and promotional tool that has made people more aware of Vault Lounge.”
“The cameras are very beneficial for us because having an extra set of eyes on the bar can deter criminal behavior and dishonesty with police,” he added.
Dick now hopes to expand the site to cover more of Ontario, as well as expand participation with other owners, potentially including the restaurant industry.
The creators have also managed to turn a profit off the site. While there are a number of different ways to make money from a popular website, Dick said that advertising is the most effective.
“The site has advertisements for DJs, clothing stores, Waterloo Networks and so on. There are also advertising packages for promoters,” Dick said.
After surveying random students on the Wilfrid Laurier University campus about this website, the majority of their responses were positive ones. Some students have even begun using the site as a ritual before they hit the clubs.
“Beat the Bar Line has been really helpful for the small and up-and-coming bars because it allows users to see when the lines are too big and is useful for the more prominent bars where they can avoid the hassle of waiting in line,” said Mike Horner, a third-year geomatics student at Laurier.
The site currently serves the cities of Kitchener-Waterloo and Guelph in Ontario.
With just the click of a mouse, people can access www.BeatTheBarLine.com to get a first-hand look at the line-ups outside the bar and even the crowded, or not-so-crowded, dance floor, in the comfort of their very own home.
The website displays their featured venues, their hours of operation and a live view via webcam of the lines outside or inside the club. The site also provides phone numbers for taxies in each area.
Andrew Dick, the creator of this innovative website, said that he and a friend from the University of Western Ontario, Peter Whitby, came up with the idea and are now starting to reap some profits from the venture.
Even bar owners are starting to offer positive feedback on the site. Brent Campbell, the owner of Vault Lounge in Waterloo, said, “BeatTheBarLine.com is a great website and promotional tool that has made people more aware of Vault Lounge.”
“The cameras are very beneficial for us because having an extra set of eyes on the bar can deter criminal behavior and dishonesty with police,” he added.
Dick now hopes to expand the site to cover more of Ontario, as well as expand participation with other owners, potentially including the restaurant industry.
The creators have also managed to turn a profit off the site. While there are a number of different ways to make money from a popular website, Dick said that advertising is the most effective.
“The site has advertisements for DJs, clothing stores, Waterloo Networks and so on. There are also advertising packages for promoters,” Dick said.
After surveying random students on the Wilfrid Laurier University campus about this website, the majority of their responses were positive ones. Some students have even begun using the site as a ritual before they hit the clubs.
“Beat the Bar Line has been really helpful for the small and up-and-coming bars because it allows users to see when the lines are too big and is useful for the more prominent bars where they can avoid the hassle of waiting in line,” said Mike Horner, a third-year geomatics student at Laurier.
The site currently serves the cities of Kitchener-Waterloo and Guelph in Ontario.
