Okay folks, it's time for us to make a decision.
Decision.
The time is ripe for us to decide on a new place for the BerkeleyLUG meetup
**besides** Bobby G's, and to decide on this *ASAP*.
======
Reason.
For those of you who still may not realize this, Bobby G's Pizzeria has
been under new ownership since this past Winter. The new owners have kept
things they way they were before under the restaurant's founder Bobby G --
well, *mostly* that way -- until they made some key renovations this
Summer. Among the most significant renovations the owners made during the
last couple of months that have significantly affected our BerkeleyLUG
meetups were their adding more TV screens around the restuarant, adding
more TV speakers all around the place routinely blaring televised sports,
and making enough structural renovations to the place (e.g., raising the
ceiling) so that the televised sports sounds heavily reverberate all around
the place.
The key decision we must make is based upon our inability to actively
participate in BerkeleyLUG discussion at Bobby G's given all the ambient
noise and sound discordancy ("vibrations" as someone put it this
afternoon.) At least one current BerkeleyLUG participant actually left the
meetups **both** today and two weeks ago due to the level of noise
preventing even simple conversation!
That is simply unacceptable.
And we received a clear indication this afternoon that Bobby G's management
isn't liable to accommodate us by lowering the speakers volume on the
televised sportsgames just for us, while other paying customers are
cheering on their sports teams and enjoying their beers.
We would prefer to meet in a place 1) NUMERO UNO(!!!), that is **much**
quieter than Bobby G's so we can actually talk and hear one another, 2)
that is located in or near Downtown Berkeley so we can all easily get there
, 3) that has good-to-great WiFi access, 4) that can physically accomodate
a group of we participants (6ppl, 8ppl, 10ppl+ ??) along with our Linux
and/or Android devices, and 5) that will provide or at least allow
sufficient power outlets/extensions so that we can actually run and
recharge our Linux and/or Android devices.
======
Follow-thru on Alternatives.
To that end, about a half-dozen of us went out and checked out a couple of
places about a one-block radius around Bobby G's Pizzeria to see which
might look like the best meetup alternative for now.
The first place we looked at was 85c Bakery at 21 Shattuck Square just
across the street from Bobby G's. Its website is www.85cbakerycafe.com/ and
its direct contact telephone number is 510.540.8585.
85c definitely fulfills preferences 1) thru 3), and its certainlly the most
spacious -- as a whole -- among the pair of places we visited. Duhavamir
approached the 85c Manager or Assistant Manager and verbally presented our
case to try to RSVP a place for our Sunday meetups, and acquired the
[Assistant] Manager's business contact card. Apparently, from Duhavamir's
efforts, Michael P is one of the key point contacts for this possibility.
Thru 85c Bakery's contact info page www.85cbakerycafe.com/contact-us/ , the
RSVP possibility might involve contacting its headquarters in SoCals's
Orange County:
CORPORATE OFFICE
Monday - Friday 9:00 AM to 05:00 PM
714-459-9585
mailto: customerservice at 85cbakerycafe dot
My own RSVP preferences for 85c Bakery are threefold:
A. that 85c could indeed physically accommodate a group of we participants
at one seating all-together; maybe by putting up a big table or putting
together several smaller ones for seating 8 or more people
B. that the 85c staff could actually at least allow sufficient power
outlets/extensions so that we can actually run and recharge our Linux
and/or Android device
C that preferably **nobody** has to pay an out-of-pocket fee (e.g.,
Duhavamir, Michael P or others) for making successful reservations for
BerkeleyLUG meetups at 85c
www.85cbakerycafe.com/
The second place all six or so of us visited was the nearby Berkeley Coffee
Company at 61 Shattuck Square, see www.berkeleycoffeecompany.com/ .
The Berkeley Coffee Company definitely fulfilled above preferences 1), 2),
and 5) . AAMOF, right behind each of the two dozen or so tables were *at
least* two power outlets, so if anything, there would be more than
sufficient power outlets for our various Linux/Android devices. Also, the
place had a definite low-key vibe with gentle background music playing.
Berkeley Coffee Company's most serious drawbacks, however, are its apparent
physical inability to accommodate participants all-together as a group
+and+ its questionably-flaky WiFi when in high-demand.
www.berkeleycoffeecompany.com/
======
I think that the consensus people reached when I departed, was that we'll
be meeting at 85c Bakery for the next BerkeleyLUG meetup on October 9th.
If Michael P, Duhavamir R, Tom L, Alan T, Bill L, Earl M, Ilsa B, Karen,
David, or really anyone else wishes to respond with any corrections,
suggestions opinions/feedback, or other ideas here, then by all means
please do pipe right in!
Cheers!
-A
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