*Exclusive SVW Orlando Interview with founder Chris Kindig*
In case you haven't heard the news, we're opening a new shop in Orlando, Florida! This extension of SVW is a result of the hard work our members put in every single day to evolve the Suplex Vintage Wrestling brand. This new space will be a reflection of the second-to-none inclusive wrasslin' fan culture we've built. We're sure SVW nation has a bunch of questions regarding this recent needle-moving news. Fortunately, we were able to get ahold of SVW founder, Chris Kindig to dish more details about SVW's next moves.
Before we continue, Philadelphia, don't fret, we are going nowhere. The original SVW location and HQ will remain in the best pro wrestling city in the country.
JustJayBe: What up man? This is crazy news. How does it feel to launch a new SVW location?
Chris: It still doesn't feel real yet. I've been so busy since the success of Wrestlemania in Philly that I haven't got a chance to soak in the fact that I'm a Florida resident now and 1,000 miles away from South Street.
JustJayBe: How many months in the making was the plan for this new shop?
Chris: The plan to open Orlando was alive years ago. We always knew that if we could prove the concept in Philadelphia, it would lead to an even better opportunity in Orlando, Florida. This was months and months of planning and contingent on a successful Mania 40!
JustJayBe: Can you go a little more in-depth as to why a new locale made sense?
Chris: This location made sense for a bunch of reasons. I think my daughter being born motivated me to move out of the city and Orlando is a very attractive area to raise a family. Beyond dad life, it was the history of Florida much like the history in Philadelphia that inspired me. A lot of the best wrestlers of all time and some of the best wrestlers today come from the area. Add the performance center and NXT and all of a sudden it looks like Orlando is THE destination for wrestling in the country! No state income tax allows for a small business like ours to do that much better. The indie scene down here is always growing with new promotions and wrestling schools being created everyday. When you think of all of that, mix it with the tourism of Disney/Universal–most people may not know this but Orlando is the15th largest economy in THE WORLD.
JustJayBe: What will some of the in-store differences be between the Philadelphia and Orlando locations?
Chris: The business is part of Dezerland Park, a massive one million square foot indoor action park with go carts, bowling, mini golf, a movie theatre, eateries and they host events every week from children's birthday parties to large conventions. Much like South Street, there are a bunch of other options surrounding our shop.
We also have set up our shop to focus more on retail and current wrestlers which is slightly different then Philadelphia. Up north we focus a ton on vintage while down here we will be accommodating more of a younger audience so we need to highlight the likes of Cody, Roman, Rhea etc.
JustJayBe: What do you say to Orlando wrestling fans who may not know much about what SVW has to offer?
Chris: I would let them, know that a community you didn't know was possible has reached your hometown. We want to connect the locals, the tourists, the old time wrestlers with the new current superstars–everything and anything pro wrestling now has a place they can come to and enjoy the common interest, passion and love for pro wrestling.
JustJayBe: How do you intend on further establishing SVW culture in Orlando?
Chris: We're going to grow the culture exponentially here in Orlando. For instance, once a week the locals get on a bus and head over to the performance center to watch NXT and we want to be part of that. Our location is the perfect place to encourage a day trip, an evening and dedicate it to enjoying wrestling. Whether you're just talking shop, purchasing merch or any other reason-we're here to welcome everyone.
JustJayBe: Since ya'll are near the WWE performance center, could there be some opportunities for unique SVW programming?
Chris: With NXT just down the road, we intend on doing everything we can to partner with the brand in any way shape or form possible. The superstars of the future are there now and we want to establish relationships with them before the main roster brings them up. A ton of ideas from interviews, podcasts and watch parties-NXT is the perfect match for what we're doing down here in Florida.
JustJayBe: You have two shops now. Wrestling is the hottest it's been since the end of the Monday Night Wars. With that in mind, where do you see the SVW brand in the next 5 years?
Chris: In 5 years, we want to be the voice of the people that love pro wrestling. Doesn't matter sex, age or ethnicity. We want to have a connection with fans all over the world, introducing our content in multiple languages. I envision a shop in more cities like Tampa, Charlotte and Austin. SVW will be the first to help independent wrestlers improve their social media and marketing, eventually giving everyone a platform to promote everybody's different contributions. If you can imagine something like the "Barstool Sports" of pro wrestling, we want to be the one stop shop for your pro wrestling needs.
JustJayBe: How can SVW nation contine to keep up with all things SVW?
Chris: Suplex nation can stay up to date best with our Instagram account, @suplex.svw and our new location's account @svw.
Thank you all for joining us on this journey! We're just getting started!
- "The Blog Guy" JustJayBe
Comments