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Meet Stephen Korka of Korka Comics

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephen Korka.

Stephen, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have been a serious collector of both comic books and toys since I was a kid. In December of 2012 my local shop which was located in Pembroke Pines to my surprise all of a sudden had a ‘going out of business sale’. I approached the owner and naturally asked what happened. He said nothing and that he and his wife were looking to retire and move upstate. I made him an offer to purchase the entire inventory, struck a deal with the landlord, took out a small business loan, rebranded to Korka Comics, and that’s how I got the first store.

As a lifelong customer of various stores, I had a keen idea of how the shop should be. First and foremost, customer service staffed with people who were both friendly and knowledgeable in the genre. Secondly, a good variety of inventory and pricing that was fair and competitive. It is important to follow market trends and follow pricing that is in line with the industry. Anyone can slash their margins and offer products barely above the cost of goods and label that great customer service, but honestly, that is bad business. I have seen too many businesses come and go under this model and I absolutely did not want to be another. Finally, I knew how I wanted it to look and feel, which I have come to find out is ever evolving.

Two years into business in South Broward, I knew Miami was in need of a shop. There were only three in the entire county at that time versus Broward that had close to ten. I made a bold decision to venture down and investigate the county for the best location at a price that made sense. As a graduate of FIU, I was familiar with the surrounding area of the South campus and knew the West Miami, Sweetwater area was ripe for the genre. I opened in April of 2015 and needless to say it was a thankful success, so successful that not even two years into business, I had to expand to a larger space in the same location.

Now, five-plus years in for Pembroke Pines, three-plus years in Miami, I have been in search to expand to a third spot and am fortunate to say that we will be opening in Coral Gables a few blocks from the University of Miami on October 1st of 2018! It is a daring venture similar to my leap to initially expand down in Miami, but I am excited to add to the story of Korka Comics.

I am by nature a risk taker and always shoot high as well as ready to take my punches. I think any business owner, especially the small business entrepreneurs like myself, need to be willing to take risks, make investments and be prepared for the worst but work your hardest to achieve the best. For example, my business essentially is a brick and mortar retail store that sells print media. That combination could arguably be labeled a dying industry in the age of Amazon and the decline of readership amongst people, especially children. However, before anything, I have and will continue to always be a fan of the comic book genre, and I know firsthand how loyal its fan base can be to both the medium and the local shop in which they purchase this. It is with that knowledge that I hold optimism towards mine as well as other businesses like mine in regards to the interest and sustainability in the industry. Though people have come to fall in love with their handheld devices, nothing beats the feeling of holding and reading a comic book.

Has it been a smooth road?
For the most part, it has been smooth as I am fortunate to say I am still in business and expanding. Of course like anything there are speed bumps. For example, I have had to replace my air conditioner unit at both of my locations which is never a fun cost to absorb or expected, but I have to anticipate it. I also have found myself either under ordering or over ordering a particular product. Selling out of something is great, but not when demand is high, and you have a low supply. On the flip side, there is nothing fun about having an overabundance of inventory for something you felt would be the next best thing and instead was a complete failure. It comes with the territory though, and I will for sure miscalculate order again just as much as I’m sure I’ll need some emergency plumbing work done.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
At our core, we are a comic book store in the most traditional sense. We continue to receive the latest issues of the majority of series out there from both the major and independent publishers, we have a subscription service available to customers as well as classic titles and various back issues for the collector to the person looking for that one particular issue to complete the story.

The comic book store of today is so much more than just comics though. We, for instance, offer many popular gaming options such as Magic the Gathering, YuGiOh, and Pokémon as well as collectible statues, clothing, and toys and not to mention the very popular Pop Vinyl figures from Funko. Years ago I began to see the popularity of this product grow, so I made a point to have all my stores have arguably the widest, largest and best-priced selection in all of South Florida. My claim doesn’t stem from ego either; we actually do have quite an impressive selection with pricing competitive with big-box retailers and have gained notoriety within the local collector community for this.

As the sole owner, I am most proud of the growth the brand has taken in just over five years. I am proud of the team that works with me as they are loyal, trustworthy and truly love the genre as much as I do. I am proud of the loyal customer base that not only continues to grow but comes back. It tells me that we’re doing the right thing.

In regards to my competitors, for the most part, it is a very friendly community. I have a good relationship with most of the shop owners in the tri-county region. We’re not in this to one-up the other or steal business from each other. Whenever a local shop closes, is it good for business? Sure you get a little boost at the time, but ultimately it is bad for the industry as well as sad. I want every shop to be successful. When that happens, it stimulates growth for everyone. With that said, I am not trying to say what makes me better than the rest; I will just say that I make it a point to ensure Korka Comics has a friendly knowledgeable team with a wide variety of products that are fairly priced to ensure an amazing customer experience.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The optimist in me says yes, Miami is a great city to have comic book stores. Having one here already and getting ready for a second in the county proves that to be fact. It is a niche market though that if oversaturated could make it collapse. With that said, someone starting out would really need to study the market to see if another of the same is really good for business and this train of thought could be applied to any industry, not just comic books.

The biggest problem for small business owners like myself is the cost of rent. It takes such a large initial investment to open a business in a shopping center. Having a business in both Broward and Miami-Dade County, I can say from experience that rent can be double in Miami-Dade from Broward. I also can say in my research that if someone wants to be in a decent plaza that has say a Publix or a large national chain, get ready to pay an insane amount for rent. It really is unfortunate because it takes the opportunity away from the everyday middle-class individual to take a chance and try to achieve the American dream through starting their own business. Hopefully, Miami-Dade, Florida and the country as a whole will recognize this, and I don’t mean giving a few lucky individuals a break through a lottery system but actual realistic regulation on the rising cost of rent. We hear politicians say all the time how small business is the backbone of the American economy. We’ll see if they put their money where their mouth is.

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Stephen Korka

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