RiNo dance club, Beacon, uses chicken NFTs for VIP access

Mario Nocifera wants to put the VIP into NFTs.

With the growing popularity of NFTs, or non-replicable digital assets that represent real-world objects such as art, music, in-game items and videos, many people have questioned why a picture of monkeys is selling for tens of millions of dollars combined with headlines about the million-dollar hack of NFT projects.

But Nocifera, the owner of local dance club Beacon at 2854 Larimer St. in RiNo, told BusinessDen that his new NFT program has some real-world value.

“I’m interested in crypto and a big believer in the technology. I wanted to let others get into it without having to invest in crypto or buy Bitcoin and without the ‘Oh my God’ factor, as people get overwhelmed if they’re not used to to work with crypto, Nocifera said.

In June, Nocifera launched a Beacon VIP membership program using NFTs. He is selling 50 NFTs, which are different images of a chicken with a disco ball, for $500 each. Nocifera began promoting the VIP NFT program through word of mouth in June. He said he has sold 16 out of 50 so far.

“We want to keep that number low to keep the integrity of the value,” Nocifera said. “Everyone who owns one comes all the time because that’s why they bought it. A guy who lives in Florida, who spends a quarter of his time here and is big into crypto, even bought one.”

Beacon NFT holders get a couple of benefits.

When you come on a Friday night, you can skip the line with a friend. Is your favorite famous DJ playing at the club? You don’t have to pay the coverage fee, which usually ranges from $5 to $100.

“We don’t want people to be afraid of our NFT because at the end (of the day), the chicken is not worth the money, that’s what it represents,” Nocifera said. “That’s why our platform is a tangible resource.”

Beacon, which Nocifera opened with her business partner Robert Champion in December, is a dance club and bar decorated with immersive art installations. The idea for an NFT was presented to the owner by one of the club’s local artists and performers, Brandon Theis.

Nocifera, 47, started buying crypto in 2019, but he didn’t own any NFTs, so Theis guided him through the process.

“We consider ourselves a hub for artists to network in their communities and draw inspiration from all mediums, which now includes digital art,” Nocifera said.

Before Nocifera opened Beacon, he built his own chicken coop and bought seven chickens, naming each one after a day of the week. He did a promotional photo shoot for Beacon with Wednesday the chicken with a disco ball, which later became the inspiration for NFT.

Austin Foster, a local resident who works in the cannabis industry, frequents Beacon and purchased a VIP NFT in June to access Nocifera.

“I bought into Mario because I feel like we can create a lot of great things together, and now he’s interested after spending $500 on an NFT,” Foster said. “I wanted to get involved in the dance club scene and this was a good stepping stone because once you’re part of the community, Mario introduces you to everyone.”

Foster, 29, said he has used his NFT about seven times since he bought it and convinced a friend to buy one as well. His favorite perk is being able to skip the line, which is usually around 20 minutes long.

But he’s also proposed some extra perks to Nocifera, including members-only events, free drink tickets and a discounted VIP section.

“Not just anyone is going to spend $500 to skip the line,” Foster said. “People in that network can be significant to each other for business. If you sell them with more incentives, they will sell out very quickly, because right now people are fine with waiting 20 minutes.”