Let me think about that for a little bit...There will of course be a "community board" where people can advertise for games or selling their stuff, and at least weekly events, probably including regular sessions of popular CCGs, demo nights of different board games, and so-on. Probably a regular (but not weekly) Rock Band night or whatever the popular music rhythm game is.
The main thing for appearances will be that things are open, allowing someone to see from one end of the store to the other, with friendly colors and lighting. To help drum business I'll head over to the local university and find out what gaming club they have and donate a game or two to their gaming library each semester to generate good will. Other things to help create a "community" will be considered and implemented, 'cause this kind of store really needs that to survive as walk-ins won't really keep you afloat. You need those regular customers, and with how much cheaper things are online you need to give them a good reason to patronize you instead of saving money online.
Seriously, it's really, really hard to make one sustanable let alone profitable. I've known three people with failed enterprises in this area. Sad, but true. I can play at my friend's place or mine and I can get books from Amazon for about half of what they'd cost me in a store. I can also order specialty dice and pay only what the company asks me to without mark up from the store - if they'd even bother orderin' 'em. Just not a great way to go if profit is what you seek. If it's fun you're after, otoh ...
Inside would be some large tables for gaming, and maybe some video games/arcade games. There would be a bucket of cheap generic minis for use. Nothing fancy, if you want quality then you can buy them, from us of course. But these would be passable and you would just go to the counter and sign out whatever ones you need, leave an ID or something, and get it back when you return them.
There would be various CCG tournaments and draft games that would be posted. D&D Encounters of course. We would also offer one day each month for newbies to come in and learn about the major games out there. Kind of like D&D Encounters, but covering more games and really focused on helping them get started and get their own group going, not just having them join into a dungeon delve.
We would of course sell all the typical FLGS stuff, books, minis, cards, terrain, paints, everything needed for gaming.
The basement could be reserved by groups for LARPing. We would also have some of those foam weapons you get at ren fest, and groups could just pay for a block of time and go at it down their with whatever weapons we have on hand.
The second floor would have some wargame tables set up with a few generic terrain bits. Players would pay a small fee to use the terrain pieces for the night. There would also be one or two digital gaming tables. These would be LCD TVs set into a table with a computer hooked up for the DM. They would be preloaded with tons of tiles and maps, so the DM could just project them onto the screen, and there would be a number of combat trackers and other game aids installed too.
I would shamelessly steal the idea of picnic tables on the rooftop. We would of course sell snacks and soda. Maybe once a month we would have a big event where you pay a fee to get in, then we lock the doors and just game and hang out all night, free food and drinks that night, play a couple movies, just make it a big social even for gamers to get together and get to know each other.
Now of course we would try to make a small profit, but in reality this would be something I would do mostly for fun, probably after I'm already retired. I've known some people who failed in their own FLGS ventures, so as long as I have another source of steady income I figure I should be able to make a business that can sustain itself since it won't also be trying to sustain me.
Upstairs: games sales area, office, large semi-private gaming "booths" with large tables, networked PCs for gaming, and kitchen.
Downstairs: lounge seating, refreshment bar, TVs with Blu Rays/DVD and video game consoles (rented by the half-hour).
At night the sales area is closed off, the tables in the gaming booths are lowered and provided with chairs, the downstairs lounge remains unchanged, the kitchen switches over from snack food to pub grub, the refreshment bar becomes an actual bar (which sells video games alongside beverages), and the shop as a whole transitions from gaming store to video game bar a la the Mana Bar.
What would it take to make a FLGS profitable or at least sustainable?
One local game shop tried to combine coffee with gaming. Like many of you have posted, it failed. I thought the idea was novel.
What would it take to make a FLGS profitable or at least sustainable?
Dealing crack in the back.
Maybe that'd work?
Liquor licenses are rationed and expensive - plus they invite specific regulations that must be complied with. Real food, a bar, as many games as possible, etc all require additional employees. So not good considerin' what it is you're peddlin'.