I have been to my fair share of Paul Poteet’s Gotta Eat events, and have gotten the chance to know Paul and company quite well over the last eight months. Paul is the star of these things; hence the name, but I have taken a kind liking to the folks behind the scenes as well. I am talking about the people who make up the design team for the final production of these events. The ones who create the video that you will all see and handle the promotion before, during, and after each event. I am speaking about none other than Another Cool Design.
Another Cool Design has worked with quite a few companies here in the Indianapolis area, and they take their work very seriously. Their head man, Nathan Karamanski, spends his time planning shots and instructing his parents, John and Victoria Karamanski, where to go for the next shot. They are some of the hardest working people in this city and with the help of Paul’s smiling face and a bunch of great local restaurants to facilitate, out comes a professional video and an experience like none other.
I have not been to a PPGE event in a while. But this one was special. Having thrown an event for my blog at Pinheads Entertainment Center, located just off of state road 37 and 141st street, I was approached by John and Victoria. They were there supporting my blog and asked if I would help schedule a PPGE event there. They were impressed with the facility, and wanted an excuse to work with me. Long story short, I scheduled a meeting with a couple managers at Pinheads, and the rest is history. (I won’t tell you that John and Paul showed up a half an hour late and I had already sold them on the idea before they showed up!)
Since that meeting, I have been asked to help bring more local establishments to light, and am working with a handful of other restaurants to make that a reality. But back to the event, held at Pinheads on Thursday, June 24th, 2010.
If you have ever attended a Paul Poteet event like this, then you know that they start quite early. Most of these, if not all of them to date, have started at 4:30 PM. They ask that the restaurant give them their slowest night so they can have free range of the venue to record and to take photos, and most places that tends to be weeknights. But, at Pinheads, they decided to do it on a Thursday evening. And they also decided to not have it begin until 5:00 PM. The event still lasted only two hours, but starting a half an hour later allowed more people the chance to make it there after work.
When I first got there I saw Another Cool Design shooting the outside of the building as well as the sign hanging out front. They were also shooting a brand new Chevy Camaro parked out front. Paul has been working with Hare Chevrolet on some promotion work, and this was just another way to spread the word. I later asked Paul how fast he has driven the thing, and he laughed and said, “When I hit 65, I lay off because I am afraid I would wreck the thing.” So not fast enough, I say!
Once inside Pinheads, I noticed some people gathered around one of the VIP suites at the back of the facility. But before I could get back there, I was whisked away by Kevin Walter, operating manager at Pinheads. He and I chatted about the potential turnout, the food that they would be preparing, the use of the facility for the event, and even talked about some private lessons he would be giving throughout the evening. It sounded too good to be true.
I made my way to the back of the building on my way to the VIP suites. Before I even made it into the suites, I had to grab a plate. The food was lined up all along the back bar and into the suite itself. There were people on the four lanes inside the suite bowling, and the entire south side of the bowling alley had been reserved for the event. With over twenty lanes open, nearly all of them full of guests having a blast throwing strikes, it was just a sight to see.
After snacking on some cheese trays, some meatballs, and a handful of Pinheads’ signature salads, I grabbed a seat to watch the evening unfold. Before the night was over, I chatted with Dave Smiley for a bit. I finally met John Cannon of My Car Doc. I shared in some stories with John and Victoria, and managed to meet a handful of local photographers who were covering the event. Before the night was over, I even stopped to chat with Sandy Ott Rusk. She was there interviewing Paul for Radio Mom, and after John introduced the two of us, she wanted to interview me too!
After she and I chatted, Paul and company were wrapping up. They had been filming for about four hours straight and covered the arcade, the bowling alley, the duckpin bowling alley, Louie’s restaurant, and more. Not to mention the endless list of dishes that they filmed form the Pinheads kitchen. I saw people going back for seconds, and asked a handful of folks their thoughts on the food. Everyone was impressed with the food, the service from the Pinheads staff, and the facility itself.
I asked John Cannon, who I have seen at numerous other Paul Poteet events, how thoughts on the evening.
“This is so much fun,” he said. “This the most fun we have had a Paul Poteet event to date. Great facility and incredible food. We couldn’t be happier.” His wife agreed as well and she was excited that she could bring her children to an event and not have to watch their every move. Stick them on a lane, and let them bowl!
This is just another example why these Paul Poteet events are so much fun. They are continuing to introduce the community to new locally-owned restaurants, and even places like Pinheads where you can do more than just eat delicious food and enjoy fabulous beverages. So, until the next Paul Poteet’s Gotta Eat, get out to Pinheads and spend an evening with your family, enjoying the many things they have to offer. From bowling to the arcade, pool tables and more, you can spend an entire evening there. Don’t forget to grab a pair of bowling shoes before you step up to the lanes!
