HN Explorer

Ask HN: What brick and mortar business would you start?

7 points by conductr ↗ HN
Interested to hear ideas on what types of non-software businesses seem interesting to start in 2023?

I’m open to all ideas but, for context, I have about 3 acres of undeveloped commercial land at a well trafficked intersection. It’s in a Dallas suburb and I have some capital to develop it but would like to do something other than be a strip center landlord which is the usual thing to do in this locale.

28 comments

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xrayarx
I was going to say a small cafe, but then I saw the size of the lot. That is three football fields right? That is a little too much for a coffee shop.
conductr
Yes, it's fairly large for most cafes. It could be one of many businesses though.
operatingthetan
Indoor pickleball courts.
ensemblehq
Been looking at pickle all trends and it looks like it’s growing phenomenally.
conductr
Probably a good idea. I know it’s growing like crazy and the weather here can be brutal. It might work.
_448
Leisure centre for the old and day care centre for the kids. And short stay accomodation, with cafe, for the travellers. Co-working and creative spaces, plus pitch events and conference/meeting rooms for entrepreneurs.

And hold a small music festival and creative conference once a year.

virtualritz
A VR Hologate[0] amusement venue + a big (possibly multi level) electric cart racing track + a small food court.

[0] https://www.hologate.com/

P.S. Check the layout of an actual Hologate installation here (scroll to bottom): https://hologateworld.com/

Obviously you could built something twice or thrice ad spacious.

conductr
Nice. I had considered karting but the hologate thing is new to me. I will definitely research this more. Thanks!!
LinuxBender
I am not sure if I would turn it into a business but one of my plans is to have many happy chickens and many freeze driers running 24/7 to make healthy freeze dried eggs. One goal being to contribute a percentage of them to low-income people and disabled veterans in my area. They retain taste and nutrients for 25 to 30 years. This project is on hold until the cost of steel comes back down a little bit but it will eventually happen.
conductr
Not sure it’s right fit for me but I like the mission and definitely would have never thought of the idea
ensemblehq
I’d start by figuring what your goals are. Maximize value and profitability? Building something for the community? Want to be known for something? Your goals will likely guide you down different paths and lifestyles.
conductr
Thanks. All good points. I do have a decent feel for this but didn’t want to spell it all out up front. Seemed more interesting to ask in an open ended way to get some ideas that I hadn’t considered and then see if they match my goals because they’re rather general and I could get passionate about virtually any topic.
ensemblehq
That’s fair. For a radical idea, a friend has his eyes set on building a self-sustaining biosphere dome to mimic the South East Asian climate in Texas. He’s hoping to introduce tropical birds and plants. Fascinating project and a great source of education for the community.
conductr
That’s a pretty interesting endeavor. Something somewhat similar is Moody Gardens in Galveston which is a massive business that, if I recall correctly, started off with rainforest in a glass pyramid and has expanded to be much more since then. People really like visiting these places.

https://www.google.com/search?q=moody+gardens

(Google images gives the gist better than their site. Their site shows the breadth of the business)

dhruvkar
I would start a regenerative agriculture farm. I.e. growing food in the same way it naturally grows in a forest (or savannah etc.)

Ever since I became I dad, my attention has been on what we're putting in our bodies -- intentional or not, food or not.

So much of it is rubbish.

It seems incredibly hard to eat fresh, wholesome food from the part of the earth where you live.

I want to make that a reality for at least my kids, maybe more.

rgrs
is regenerative agriculture different from permaculture?
high_byte
That is quite a large area. Here's a fun idea if you're really feeling experimental: start a DAO that decides what to build. They can invest, offer expertise, vote on decisions such as how (and if) to divide the area, etc.
mejutoco
A place for bouldering? It requires space but can have yoga and bouldering classes and free practice. Also kids on the weekends. Admitedly, idk how the demand is in Dallas.
airbreather
Undertaker or custom coffin maker - demographics is the only real crystal ball available and it tells us there is a wave of demand coming.
solardev
A board game cafe with boardtenders, like you and friends come in and ask for something lighthearted and funny or deeply strategic or like another game X. The boardtender suggests a few possibilities from the library, set up the game for you, and then teach everyone how to play. It's kinda like breweries, wineries, distilleries and such in that there will be several products for tasting, but it's often subjective, and customers will come in with different tastes and experience levels. There's already places like this in many cities (like Mox in Oregon and Washington) but it's not quite as full service as that. Given the the acres you have, if I had infinite capital, I'd also build a climbing gym, a coworking space, a communal dining area with food trucks, maybe a small parkour area... Basically a Dave and Busters reimagined for the modern era, with higher quality games and not so much excessive drinking and slightly healthier choices. Bonus points if you could have themed rooms too, almost escape room style, like the jungle room, the Old West room, the sci fi room, etc. It's the kind of place I'd visit every week, but I dunno if that's just me or maybe a Pacific Northwest deal.