A little ingenuity, creativity and moxie have gone a long way for Justin Strong, owner and founder of the popular Shadow Lounge in East Liberty, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary Friday. He opened the coffee bar and performance establishment a day before he turned 22.

Alyssa Cwanger, Post-Gazette Co-owner Tim Guthrie, foreground, and Justin Strong, left, founder and co-owner of the Shadow Lounge, prepare artwork in the Blue Room at the lounge in East Liberty Monday as they plan for their fifth anniversary celebration to be held Friday. Click photo for larger image.

Being an entrepreneur, he says, was in his blood. His family has operated Strong Dry Cleaners since the 1940s, and he has been working since he was 8. When he attended the University of Pittsburgh, he offered special pickup/delivery service to other college students. He talked about the Shadow Lounge with the Small Business Diary:

How did you get the idea? I did it because it didn't exist. I got the idea from stuff that I had done. In 1998, I was doing events and parties while I was at Pitt, and [there were] South Oakland parties.

How did you pay for the business? I started it with two credit cards, my mom's living room furniture, a couple of turntables and promotional fliers. My mom's furniture wasn't enough, so the day before we opened I rented a U-Haul truck and bought $240 in used furniture. I bought out the entire second floor of the Goodwill.

How did you settle on opening the lounge in East Liberty? I was looking for more space, and I was doing things out of my house. I wanted a better base of operation for what I was planning. So in December 1999, I took a trip to East Liberty and saw three different spaces; and I picked the one we're in now. It was just a better opportunity for what I had planned to do. Besides there wasn't anything happening there at the time.

How did you come up with the theme and atmosphere you have now? The original business plan was a club that would have a lounge atmosphere. As I got older, I started getting into more cultural things like art, poetry and other forms of expression. I got bored with the party scene, too. So I decided to focus on culture and the performing arts.

	Alyssa Cwanger, Post-Gazette Justin Strong cleans in the Main Room at the lounge. Click photo for larger image.

What is key to success at doing this? The key to success is to lose your money during the first couple of years and find out how to get it all back in the next couple of years. You also have to figure out what not to do. You need to figure out your own direction of where you want to go, and just do it. Stick to it. I figure if anybody else digs what I like and what I'm doing, well, they can come out and hang out with me.

You also have to be consistent in what you offer. You can say that you will open at 8 one week, but don't open at 10 the next and change your hours all the time and your menu and the entertainment. In this business, you will have slow nights and busy nights. We've had many good streaks and some bad streaks, too. I just take it all in stride. I grew up in a family business and I kind of grew up in an environment of risk. I've seen my dad have good days and bad says. But somehow it all came together, and he never closed the cleaners.