Surftable product ventures into Springfield market

Visitors to area eating establishments might soon have more choices than smoking or nonsmoking, if Robert L. Johnson's newest venture, Surftime Dis-tributing Inc., continues to grow. They also might have to decide whether they want a table with or without a computer and Internet access.

Johnson is a local distributor for a relatively new product, Surftable a table that contains a computer with the screen and keyboard flush to the table top. Surftable was developed by Johnson's long-time friend, Joe Abboud, of Omaha, Neb., via Abboud's manufacturing business called catEye9.

Johnson, who grew up mostly in Omaha, Neb., also lived in Springfield for a short time during his childhood.

He worked in several jobs in the consumer electronics field until 1993, when he decided that he wanted to run his own business.

That same year, Johnson began an electronic equipment mail-order business, which he moved from Omaha to Springfield in 1994.

"I've always liked the Ozarks and the lakes in the area," Johnson said.

He was happy with his business, but felt that the opportunity to be a Surftable distributor was one he couldn't resist.

Johnson's extended distributorship area includes Springfield, Branson, Rol-la, Columbia, St. Louis, Joplin, Tulsa, Okla., and Little Rock and Fayetteville, Ark.

Johnson said Abboud began developing the product, which he registered un-der the trademark name Surftable, in 1998 and began marketing it in 2001.

Surftable is targeted for restaurants, neighborhood bars, hotels, airports, hospitals, schools and just about anyplace where people gather to relax and unwind, Johnson said.

Although kiosk-style computer terminals in public places are not new in the United States and Europe, the technology has been slow in coming to the Mid-west. And, Johnson added, the Surftable is unique because of the way it's constructed, with the computer inside and the keyboard and screen flush in the table so it takes up less space.

The exposed components are covered with a laminated shield that makes them impervious to spills, he added.

Another unique feature to Surftable is that each unit has two keyboards, each with a "flip screen" button so images can be switched to face either user.

Business owner options

As distributor, Johnson leases his tables to business owners.

With each Surftable, high-speed, digital subscriber line (DSL) Internet access is used, which does not tie up the establishment owner's phone line, Johnson said.

Business owners can choose from different types of tables round, square, tall or short. The monthly lease rate for each table can be as low as $100, but Johnson said the lease rates vary. The business owners' only other expense is for the Internet access, via Southwestern Bell, which costs a flat fee of $75 per month, whether there's one table or four tables leased.

Revenues to the business owner come from access cards, similar to pre-paid phone cards, that are sold to customers by the owner. The cards are sold to the owner at a flat rate of 50 cents per card, but are available to Surftable users in increments of $2, $5, $10 and $20. The cards are usable at any Surftable site worldwide, Johnson said, and they are available with the Surftable logo or the logo of the business where the table is located. Johnson said business owners also receive a portion of advertising revenues from Surftime which come from the company's sale of ads similar to the banner-type ads found on Web sites. That revenue helps to offset lease costs.

Johnson's company also offers technical support.

"Installers are sent out if a breakdown occurs," Johnson said. "We have total support available, just like a vending ma-chine company."

The local market

In Springfield, Surftable is in use at Dennis' Place, 921 W. Sunshine.

"Lots of people use it in the evening when the crowd starts to come in," said owner Dennis Scott.

Johnson also is in negotiations with Battlefield Mall for four tables, which would be placed in the food court and throughout the mall and offer free Inter-net access to the public.

Such placement in the mall wouldn't be unusual, he added.

"Crossroads Mall in Omaha has four tables that average about six hours of use each per day," Johnson said.

Once the Surftable becomes more well-known in the Springfield area, Johnson expects to broaden his list of po-tential customers. Johnson said he thinks break rooms in large corporations, bowling alleys, coffee shops and country clubs are good places for the units to be placed.

"They can go anywhere people gather or have to sit and wait," he said.

The market at large

In the United States, there are Surf-table units in several states besides Missouri, including Texas, Wisconsin, Maine, California and Connecticut, Johnson said. Outside the country, units have gone to Korea, Iceland and Australia. Surftable's Web site is www.surftable.com.