Featured ZINOpreneur of the Week: Trip Allen of Cold Cold Heart

Trip Allen, Cold Cold Heart

Our ZINO Society featured ZINOpreneur Member this week is Trip Allen, CEOtipper of Cold Cold Heart. Trip presented his company at the ZINO Society Roundtable Investment Meeting featuring "Investing in Hospitality, Food and Beverage" entrepreneurs in December, 2010. We asked him to share the answers to a few questions about his company.

• What is your one-sentence elevator pitch? . . . Cold Cold Heart is dedicated to the preservation of roots Americana country music and social dance - a refuge from our modern world with the best live music and dancing on the best dance floor in town.
• How did you come up with the idea for your company? . . . Dancin', singin', cussin' and countin', and countin' and countin'.
• The word that best describes your company culture is . . . Social.
• How are you different from your competition? . . . We feature the best and widest variety of roots Americana country music and largest cushioned dance floor in the region, with comfort food & drink to match.
• What is the biggest challenge you face? . . . Start-up capital.
• How much money have you raised to date? . . . $150,000.
• If someone gave your company $3 million tomorrow, how would you use the money? . . . I would use it to meet our $1.5 goal to fund start-up and getting the doors open as soon as possible. I would ask that someone to please hold the balance for when we have established proof-of-concept, at which point we will make a move to purchase the property from the landlord and consider expansion to other cities.
• What is the most unusual thing about your company? . . . Ironically, it's highest of high-tech by being the kind of low-tech respite people need to recharge their battery before returning to the digital fray.
• Why will your company be successful? . . . An understanding of the market, from the competition right down to politics, diversity and customer behavior. By redefining the social experience around music and dance, it will outshine any establishment today and tomorrow.