by Nocte » Thu Sep 02, 2010 1:28 am
CAGE was shut down for a variety of reasons:
1. It wasn't profitable enough. Sure, we turned a profit a few months, but not enough for the owner to decide to spend anything more than minimal payroll or building materials. This was, above and beyond, the main reason CAGE is gone. The traffic was not even close to being steady enough to stay open 5 days a week, and this was with two teams training every other week, and a group of a dozen-ish regulars that came in pretty much like clockwork ever Friday or Saturday.
2. Someone kept calling the fire marshal. We passed the first visit that was a gross exaggeration of the report that was filed with the office, and just needed to put up some EXIT signs and fire extinguishers. Unfortunately, the first inspector retired two weeks after that, and the new guy they got after I handed the reins over to Dan was a bit more of a hadass because he felt like he had something to prove (that's speculative, to be fair). Also, one of the chicks in the auction office was a total phony pony to him whenever she got a chance, and he thought that throwing the book at CAGE would affect her in return.
3. The owners were shady and cheap. They were selling vehicles they shouldn't have been selling in their auctions, many of which had problems that weren't disclosed at the time of purchase. They were avoiding taxes somehow. Most of the building wasn't insured for airsoft play (which was the real reason you couldn't use the whole facility). Ultimately, they even backed out of contracts they had signed with partners in the building. Eventually they got caught.
Even if the fire marshal and the owners weren't an issue, the business wasn't making it. We weren't even making enough to pay me and keep the lights on and the (incomplete) insurance paid. Regardless of all the other shit, I'd be amazed if Fadi had backed CAGE to still be open today.
I miss my wheelchair.

