The Red Herring
By caitiegee Resident

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BACKGROUND: The Red Herring has been very dear to me ever since first arriving in DE; in fact, my first mission when arriving was finding it… an easy task once I finally stopped being slow and figured out the sign. The RH has become a central hub of RP for me and it’s not uncommon that I will just park myself behind the counter and see what comes my way! Cate also holds the place dear to her heart (regardless of being robbed and kidnapped from there), and while I am sad that Andi is stepping down from leadership if the RH, I would love to have the chance to try to lead it with everything she has taught me in my time there. There are quite a few things that I would love to continue that have been a part of the RH for a while. Topless Tuesday - while Cate can’t be persuaded to participate in it - is a favorite that I feel draws people to RP there and brings out some fun interactions. Thong Thursday, while it’s died out a bit as time has gone on, could potentially be brought back with the addition of more male employees - although I’m sure seeing Franco in a thong would make anyone’s day! I love having seasonal treats and would like to continue that, even going as far as a weekly special that employees could promote in RP. I would also like to come up with other events, hopefully partnering with other businesses in DE, to draw in business; probably nothing weekly right away, but definitely seasonal events as well as just random promotional events to keep things interesting. Because Cate is part of the Syndicate, the Herring would still be closely tied to the gang, as well as to Andi’s new shop in the RLD, and it would still very clearly be a gang-tied business. It might be kept under wraps a bit ICly for a little while, but soon enough everything would be out in the open as it is now.

UNIQUE: Though Cate is boring and never touches the more interesting products of the Herring, she is matter-of-fact about it and would keep the menu pretty much the same, except for potentially working with staff to come up with a “signature” dish or drink, as I’ve seen a local coffee shop do, something that distinguishes the Herring like the Greaseburger does for the diner. I would also like to utilize the space above the kitchen if possible and make it into an official office for management or a staff lounge - which would mainly be for staff purposes, of course, but of course could aid in RP, too (particularly when people who target the Herring want to rob it and need a safe to rob!).

EXPERIENCE:I have been a part of DE for almost as long as I’ve been a part of SL, and as I mentioned, I started at the Herring my first day in the city. I loved it instantly. It is a fantastic hub of roleplay and an essential part of the city, and I love spending time roleplaying there and throughout the entire sim, being part of the giant story and contributing in whatever way I can. Because of the Syndicate, I’ve experienced the Herring not only as a workplace but as a central hub for the gang goings-on and would plan on continuing that - while still keeping the cafe as a welcoming and comfortable place for customers to meet and just hang out.

IDEAS:One thing that I would definitely love to do is create more initiatives for staff to actually work behind the counter and spend more time in and around the Herring. I’ve found recently that only a few people actually spending time RPing working in the RH, which is unfortunate given its importance within the community. I would love to personally reach out to each employee and determined who is still interested in really working, and then create some way to encourage employees to actually come in and spend time there, potentially an employee of the month type of thing or something a little less lame. Also, with new employees, I think that actively training them - which could take place in either IC or OOC, or both - would be immensely helpful, and having more staff around RPing would aid in that exponentially. I would just really love having real people behind the counters more often when customers come in to RP, as opposed to an NPC - it draws more people and keeps the place running well, even if just standing there can be a bit boring. So I would really love to remedy that and make it so that the Herring is a great center for RP for new citizens and old alike.

OTHER:While the Herring won't really be closing, I think it would be great to have a big event to welcome in the a lot of the new things happening around DE, partnering with Andi's sweet shop and Pharoah's potentially just to celebrate the new, exciting things and the (finally) coming of spring! We could have free coffee, pastries, sweets, perhaps book readings or an open mic! I’ve not run a business in DE before, or anywhere for that matter, but I love the Herring. It’s pretty much Cate’s home and I’ve grown to love taking care of it as well. I would love to have a chance to run the place and see what I can do with it so that I can try to give back even a little to the city and the people that make it great.