Our little company's broken a lot of ground in the seven-plus years since we got going, but there'll be no groundbreaking we've ever done quite like this.
Meaning, of course, declaring mandatory attendance for a grand opening.
But hey, that's how it'll be TODAY, April 29, when we officially open the doors to the new DK Pittsburgh Sports headquarters/shop at 224 Fifth Avenue. All our readers, listeners, viewers, family, friends, casual acquaintances, random passersby and their pets ... everyone's absolutely required to show up and say hello! And to check out what Dali's built!
And anyone who doesn't will feel the unrivaled wrath of the Boss:
And believe it or not, there's still a bunch of stuff we need to get done in the interim that'll sharpen it up even further.
The biggest item on that list, by far, is the installation of the street sign, which will require the partial closure of the sidewalk on Fifth. (Which I think is pretty cool in and of itself!) We're now told that'll happen as soon as Tuesday, so we'll have it up three days early. And if that's the case, there's a really good chance we'll be down there -- and open -- a couple days early. But we won't make a big deal out of it. Just a chance to work out some kinks.
The real opening won't change regardless. It'll be Friday.
And to remind: There are no excuses for missing this. Zero. We've purposely chosen a day on which both the Penguins and Pirates have home games -- vs. Blue Jackets at PPG Paints Arena and vs. Padres at PNC Park -- to try to maximize everyone's options. Right around the corner from us, Market Square all the way back in full swing. And for those whose lives are influenced by the weather, the advance forecast shows it'll be warm and wonderful.
Hence ... mandatory!
HOW'S THIS WORK?
Two youngsters walked by the front of the place while we were inside yesterday with the door open, and we overheard one say to the other, 'It's a media company or something!'
Some guy later just wandered in and asked, 'Do you have belts?'
To the people unfamiliar with our product or our history, it'll take some patience and some educating. Even to those who know us, there've been questions as to how exactly this is all supposed to function. Some wonder if they'll be intruding on our company dealings. Or why we'd bother implementing a retail component at all, at a time where that industry's not exactly erupting.
Putting this as plainly as possible: I'm born in our Downtown. I love it with all my heart. So this is a dream come true.
But beyond the sappiness, in the pure business sense, we see it as a way to connect to people like never before. Our existing supporters and potential new ones. This was how we built this up, and this is how we'll reach the next level. The human touch has been proven to work throughout history, and we feel we've got the right people -- and now the right place -- to make it happen.
Look at it this way: We'll sell merch, but we'll also sell subscriptions, let people know who we are in both written and multimedia forms, and have it all work in concert.
Oh, and we'll have fun. That's priority No. 1.
100% LOCAL!
Everything that went into this venture, including all artists, photographers, craftspeople, vendors, suppliers, was pure Pittsburgh ... 100% local! And 100% chain-free! And, where possible, we went with products and services from Downtown or the Strip!
Might not mean much to many people, but it's a small part of being a good neighbor. And the more we lift each other up in the heartbeat of our city, the healthier the entire region will be. I've believed that forever.
NFL DRAFT POOL
Hey, we've got an NFL Draft competition going among our subscribers right here! Our Eddie Provident's in comments over there to help anyone who'd need it!
WE GO EVERYWHERE
• Alex Stumpf's in Chicago to cover the Pirates this weekend.
• Dave Molinari's in Detroit today, Taylor Haase in Philadelphia tomorrow for hockey.
