It’s been five days since Pokemon Go was released in Canada and already hundreds of thousands of people are flocking to the streets on the hunt for virtual pocket monsters.
Meet-ups are being organised at popular destinations – after all, the more players there are in one spot, the more chances you have of finding a rare Pokemon.
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Businesses have been some of the first to catch on to the trend, setting up lures near strategic locations to drive up their clientele.
The battle for Dorchester Square
Friday night, players will compete in the battle for Dorchester Square, organised through Facebook in collaboration with Café Buongiorno.
The café will be providing its terrace for the event and will serve food and drinks all night, including $1 slushies.
Dorchester square features two PokeStops and a gym, where players go to battle.
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Event-goers are encouraged to dress in their team colours, and as the Facebook page reads:
“Shots will be had, friends will be made and Poke Balls will be swiped! It’s a pokeparty guys, prepare for trouble.”
Café Buongiorno employee Michael Vincent Galante came up with the idea for the Battle for Dorchester Square.
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He explained the café will setting up lures and even playing the Pokemon theme song to attract those who want to “catch ’em all.”
“I love the social part of the app, and just bringing people together is a fun thing to do,” Galante told Global News.
“I think it’s cool for little businesses to set up things like this to make communities get closer together.”
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Owner Robert Spiridigliozzi praised the hype of the app and said he is looking forward to a fun event.
Helping local businesses
Foonzo, a popular downtown retro bar, provides patrons with a vast collection of classic video and board games.
For owner Alain Veillette, the Pokemon Go phenomenon is right up his alley.
“It targets the clientele that we serve already, because it’s a game from the 1990s that people grew up with. Now they’re older and it’s important to meet other people who are like them,” Veillette told Global News.
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His tactic is to set up a lure at the Foonzo PokeStop throughout the store’s hours of operation so that no matter what time you go, there will always be Pokemon.
They also provide phone chargers to make sure players are always ready.
“I think this is amazing for local businesses,” he said.
Veillette said he’s seen a decline in downtown businesses over the last few years, pinpointing parking, construction and prices as the main reasons that have kept patrons away.
Getting some fresh air
He said he’s glad that Pokemon Go is getting people outside, rather than gathering at one location.
“I know tons of people who have been living in Montreal for five years and still haven’t gone to the Old Port,” he said.
“I’m a guilty person myself to a certain extent. There are parts of the city I’ve never set foot in my life, and now I have a reason to go there.”
The foot traffic is essential for bars like his, which rely mostly on walk-ins.
“A lot of people, from what I’ve noticed, they don’t really know or care much about the Pokemon aspect. It’s more about the fact that they’re collecting the different Pokemon and meeting people,” he said.
Foonzo has set up friendly team spirit competitions on Tuesdays and Sundays.
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“You’re physically meeting people, finding where your friends live and planning hangouts.”
The bar sells red, yellow and blue shots, representing the teams in the Pokemon game – whichever team purchased the most by the end of the day will claim Foonzo PokeBar as their own.
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