[Tango-L] Community building/ Tango in restaurants & bars

[Lois Donnay]

Don't give up on these places yet, Charles.  About a year ago I was contacted by a local 
Latin restaurant, a really nice, popular place, asking me to do a tango night. The night 
they chose was Thursday.

I warned the owners that this night would probably not succeed, because Thursday nights had 
already recently seen a tango night closed because of lack of business. Also, this same 
place had at one time had a tango night on Wednesday, hosted by another teacher (although I 
later took over). The owner at that time was not satisfied, and we decided to close it 
down.

The night is still going strong, and it's a lot of fun. I think the combination of not too 
high of expectations, plus a go-between (someone between the dancers and the owners), was 
the difference.

It is true that dancers don't spend as much as other patrons. But worse than that, they are 
messy (shoes and bags everywhere), they don't leave, and they are demanding (the music is 
too quiet/loud, the place is too hot/cold, the dance floor is too slick/sticky, not big 
enough) plus they don't make room for waitstaff. If there is no one but the restaurant 
staff to complain to, the owners get pretty sick of the dancers. I provide that 
"go-between" service to the restaurant.

I have been running a dance night at another location once a month now for 4 years, and the 
owners love us. I think I finally learned how to run these nights.  I don't tell them that 
a dance night will solve their fiscal problems, bring in lots of new customers, make their 
place a hot-spot....I know I can't promise that. I thank them for having us. I am mindful 
that we are in their place, not that they work for us. I thank them, and I ask the dancers 
who come to thank them as well.

Oh, yes - any tango teacher who organizes a dance night with the purpose of making money is 
crazy. Organizing dance nights is a service that all teachers should provide for their 
communities (if they are invested in the community).  It may make some money - about 
$3/hour if you count the whole night plus the legwork. Don't expect to get lots of students 
either. Other teachers who come to the event are on the lookout for newbies, too. What you 
get is a stronger community that, someday, may have a bigger returns for everyone. Oh, 
yeah, and it's more fun!!

Lois Donnay
Minneapolis (welcoming everyone to the Heartland Tango Festival in 2 weeks!)


> However one venue is consistent with other cities...the restaurant that has a
> slow night (or has low attendance in general) that expects to bring in a
> tango crowd to bolster its business.   After an initial rush they usually close. A
> few have survived but as Stephen said, tango dancers do not spend money on
> food and liquor and often the restaurant will drop the tango night, especially
> if business picks up. One or two have survived here, notably Lafayette Grill
> which also has tango now on other nights (but it is an exception), but the floor
> is a little small and the level of dancing is mixed. Others hang in but
> usually with a small crowd. I have personally seen maybe twenty "restaurant
> milongas" come and go.
> Most of the people who run the milongas have resigned themselves to making
> only a certain amount of money and no more...no one makes a big profit. Most of
> the people who run the milongas have other income or are involved in other
> milongas and workshops.
>
> As Danel once said to me: Nobody got rich from tango, except Francisco
> Canaro.
>
> Cheers,
> Charles