When will ReefCulture be open?
 

When will ReefCulture be open?

yes, when please????

The last thing I heard was middle of this month.
I'll see if I can find out anything more.
I'm also fairly certain that the staff over there is going to be TOP NOTCH.
After all we know Skip is there and Carlos is no longer at AZSB so I think we know what that means...
I'm certain this is going to be THE shop in the PHX metro once they get rolling and all just a few miles from my house. :)

A few miles from your house?

I wish I was that close, I may have to move to Scottsdale.

Tempe all the way for me! I'm a few blocks from University and Mill, it's about a 7 minute drive at most for me to get over there.

So I think I was wrong by the way, opening should be about a month from now give or take. I think a lot of it at this point is related to the strict QT policies they are using over there (which are awesome by the way) so figure first week of March before the doors open for a soft launch and a big grand opening towards the end of the month. Don't quote me on it, but I would wager that's about right.

I'm as excited as most of you for this shop to open but I give them all the credit in the world for taking their time and doing it right. When ATR re-opened up in Scottsdale it was so half done it was hard to walk around in there and not wonder what the heck was going on.

I've had the pleasure of learning about a few of their plans and I promise you we are really talking about a store that is going to blow away everyone else in town. I think we're talking about the new gold standard when it comes to a LFS in the PHX metro.

7 min muhahah i can get there in 4 min, (maybe because i deliver pizza) lol and its only its 2 1/2 miles from i cant wait i hope its as grat as it sounds. and so close cant get any better.

Store
 

What I have heard the store is going to be GREAT!!!


I just hope the coral pricing is right and NOT crazy high like the old store.


I look forward to the new store.

x2 usually the nicer the store the higher the price. (ususally)

They will be quarintining everything, so the prices will be fair if they are higher than most. Remember in this hobby you get what you pay for.

The same can be said about Aquatouch.

Well the "last one" has nothing to do with the new one really. Other than location, this is a completely different operation. My *guess* (I haven't talked price with the guys at all) is that you stuff will in fact be competitive. I suspect you'll be paying a small premium on livestock just due to the QT procedures, but I would speculate the cost will be lower than what you see at AT for instance.
I also think you'll be looking at some specimens that are generally more difficult to get locally. The guys over there are real hobbyists as well as LFS guys and I'm confident we will see some awesome captive frags and the like. That should also help with keeping costs in line.
While it's true that nice store usually = higher prices I'd bet on things being real fair particularly considering how nice it's going to be!

I agree they look like they will be a premium store, I cant see how they would offer the lowest prices in town (and stay in business ... cant operate at a loss) yet offer the service they seem to. OTOH if they bring in some really special stuff, rare sps etc I would flock there in a moment.

I think we can count on that, there should be some SPECTACULAR coral in this shop.

Being patient, thorough and well-prepared makes all the difference. I dropped by the storefront a couple of times when Pacific Reef was trying to open a Phoenix location (Downtown on Roosevelt at 3rd or 4th Ave). The guys over there already had their RO/DI system in place and were beginning to install tanks before they even inquired about the permits they might need from Phoenix and Maricopa County. The projected opening date just slipped further and further into the future. Now half of their storefront is a restaurant, and the other half is still vacant.

Having dedicated, knowledgeable hobbyists on staff is great, but it seems to me that there has to be at least one "business guy" (who might also be a hobbyist) to develop a business plan, and to worry about permits and accounts receivable and all that jazz required to get the store open and keep it running.

As far as ReefCulture specifically, I'm excited, too. I'll definitely visit as soon as someone leaks the soft opening to RC. Good luck, guys!

It's a stones throw away from my new house, too. Can't wait for it to open!

Their display tank gonna look awesome! 700G I think!

So, lots of people have expounded on how close (or far) they are from this place. My superior deductive reasoning skills have led me to believe that is approximately 7 minutes from one reefers house, and 4 from another. Dmorel gave his approximate cross streets, which helps me to further deduce that said LFS is somewhere within the Tempe, Chandler, Mesa, or Phoenix area. No one else has given their approximate location, and I need at least three points to triangulate....

Any help?

Sorry for the lengthy post, just saw Sherlock Holmes :)

It is on the surface street of the 101 at 406 S. Price Rd. Tempe, AZ 85282.
This store is going to be amazing and is going to make every other store in the valley step up to the plate if they want to play.

Thanks! Can't wait to see it :)

Remind me that I need to check out the tank in person sometime. I'm at ASU every day of the week for grad school, and on the weekend it'd be nice to take a fish tank break :)

I don't know what it is that is going to make this store phenomenal. I know that the staff is going to be top notch, but I am curious as to what is going to make the difference.

I heard something in this thread about good quarantining procedures and potentially great coral for sale, but I am not sure that in itself makes a phenomenal store.

My question to all of you is, "What makes a phenomenal store?"

OK, so complete QT of all livestock, a top notch staff and great livestock isn't enough to rate as phenomenal? Fair enough, let's say those just equal a great store.

What do I believe will make ReefCulture a phenomenal store?

I'd start with intangibles like "the vibe" of the store. I know there has been a LOT of attention placed on the design and layout to make it a comfortable place to be. There are numerous other really cool and interesting things I've heard the guys are working on but I'm not gonna be the one to ruin their surprises. But I personally believe that ReefCulture is a place people will want to be.

Next, I would point to their frag and grow out systems. Conservation AND Quality. Another plus for me.

The shop has to be consistent. This is something obviously only time will tell but we do have some historical data to look at, so I think we can have high hopes for that.

The shop has to care about the product it is selling to its clients. The fact that they have delayed opening until things are "right" (like all livestock has already gone through a full round of QT!) is evidence of that type of attitude. Oh, and they are pretty green too, lot of thought went into energy conservation...

Guess we'll know in a month or so if they make it to phenomenal... My money is on them ;)

I believe a phenomenal store starts with staff, then product.

I like the idea of a store where people just want to be because of the quality of the store and staff; this is a good start, but I still want more.

What else do you want in a phenomenal store.

I don't know man... Free beer?

You should definitely swing by sometime.

its in the old ATR spot right?

You definitely have me excited. AT is definitely closer to me so I hope they blow me out of the water!

its not even open yet and its phenomenal... lol. i hope it is.

While free beer would definitely have this crowd hanging out at the store from open to close, I don't think that it is necessary... everyday.

One thing that hasn't really been mentioned is cutting edge equipment. I want a real reason not to buy online.

I would love to see some really cool equipment at work, a really cool display tank, and a really clean layout.

good luck with the captcha code when trying to register on their web site i cant tell what is capitalized......:(

theres a new store opening? lol. I've been gone for too long. So like someone said above, is it in the old ATR location or no? and do they have a website?

I think this is a good point. There's a lot of hype about QT procedures, hard to find store, etc, but until I get in there myself I'll withhold judgement. It's probably going to be better than some stores out there, but the ability to get in rare corals doesn't mean much because most anyone can get them if asked :)

For me, to qualify as a phenomenal store, it needs to meet four qualifiers:

1) Exceedingly good customer service. This means remembering me, what I like to buy, and cutting me a sweet deal once in a while (AT and ToTR have this under control currently). It also means being willing to special order something without bending me over the barrel with cost.

2) A clean layout/feel. I hate going into stores with just rows of unlit tanks to look at the fish -- I want to see what they might look like in my tank. I also hate pallets of crap stashed everywhere on the sales floor. If it won't fit cleanly onto a shelf, keep it in the back.

3) Cutting edge technology/equipment. Even if I can't afford it, I want to be able to see what's out there so I can either DIY it or save my pennies. I want them to be excited for what's happening in the field. However, the correllary to this is I want them to be down to earth when it comes to grad students who are on a budget :) I don't want to have someone try and sell me a $400 widget when a $100 widget will fit my needs.

4) Reasonable price structure. I think this is the clincher. If they can give me value for what I'm purchasing, I'm in. This can mean a bargain bin next to the $50 a frag tank, or it can mean excellent QT procedures so I rarely lose a coral or fish purchased from the store. There needs to be some reason I'm spending my money there. It can't be all high-end stuff or I won't even stop in.

Most of the stores around town have at least a couple of these -- I can't think of one that always meets all of them. Maybe this one will be different. We'll see soon enough :)

I have to agree with Che here.

To me, a phenomenal store = store with a huge selection of fish, coral and equipment with knowledgeable people and decent prices (not necessarily cheap) and great ideas that inspire me.

Do I think this soon to be opened store will be phenomenal with the description I have listed above? My money is no. With all the hype, I am hoping that it will be a good store with decent livestock selection. Hopefully, I will be pleasantly surprised.

Owen, now that's the stuff I am talking about. All of these things make a great store. If you miss one thing or the other, it kind of leaves you feeling less than satisfied.

I hope that ReefCulture will be a killer store... I hope that they're listening, er watching, I mean reading.

I'll also take free beer, if they're reading ;)

Maybe they'll have some brown corals for your viewing pleasure.

I want to see a store that is maintained and clean like a medical facility. I hate it when there has been water spilled on the floor and everyone has walked through it and spread dirt everywhere, or when the salt has not been cleaned off of the fixtures and around hard to access areas, and when paint is peeling off because of the humidity. Little things like that is what gets my attention. I'm sure the new place will be nice and clean.

I second the idea of displaying the latest equipment, such as the newest BK skimmers and Red Dragon pumps, or a complete line of Tunze products with parts. One might say that those high dollar pieces don't sell, I say they don't sell because no one can see them first hand. I'm not going to buy a BK based upon pictures on a website, I want to see it, touch it and ask questions, if it makes a good impression I'd pick one up. This last weekend, my wife and I were out furniture shopping and ended up buying something that we normally wouldn't have, we made the purchase only because we could compare it directly with a competitors product which had proven to be inferior. You never know who might buy an Elos system if it was on the floor ready to be loaded into a pickup truck. In another instance, sort of OT but related by content, my wife and I drove to a sewing and craft store on the far far east side of town to have her Bernina sewing machine serviced, while we were there, a salesperson demonstrated the latest embroidery machine Bernina offered, at $12k no less, and afterward we contemplated purchasing one. They had a few of them on hand for immediate delivery. We haven't brought one home just yet, but the subject comes up from time to time. If she were to see it in a magazine, she would not have given it a second look and turned the page, we only knew of it because of a demonstration. I can't stress enough that IN STOCK sells.

I would also like to see store hours that would allow me to shop after work during the week, an 8pm closing time would be nice. I remember when I first started out in SW when I lived in Cali, I would go to a place in Fountain Valley called Tis Tropical, they were open until 9 every day of the week, I spent many thousands of dollars there at 8:45.

Another store on the same level with AT would be fantastic. I don't care to shop in just another lfs with some fish and Fluval filters on the shelf, I want to shop at a place that caters to the hardcore sw enthusiest, that carries the more obscure equipment and is up to date on the latest techniques and trends in our hobby. How's that Che?

Now that's the stuff that dreams are made of...