Bradlee Skinner’s The Ripple Room had a classic speakeasy problem: it was too hidden. Tucked behind a unmarked door in New Orleans’ French Quarter, the cocktail bar relied on word-of-mouth—but foot traffic dropped off sharply after 10 PM. His solution? Gobohub’s 105W Water Ripple Effect Projector, mounted above the speakeasy’s “secret” entrance (a plain brick wall).
The projector redefined “hidden charm”:
Mysterious, Inviting Cue: After dark, the 105W LED casts soft water ripples across the unmarked brick—subtle enough to feel like a “secret signal,” bold enough to catch passersby’s eyes. “Tourists and locals now pause, lean in, and realize ‘this is the door,’” Skinner says. The ripples feel like a nod to New Orleans’ bayou vibe—fitting the speakeasy’s moody, aquatic-themed cocktails.
Vibe That Travels Inside: Skinner also ran the projector’s ripples across the bar’s back wall, where it danced over vintage bourbon bottles. “Guests say the moving water makes the room feel alive—like we’re drinking in a moonlit bayou,” he notes. Unlike harsh neon, the ripples stay quiet, matching the speakeasy’s low-key energy.
Set-it-and-Forget-it Durability: New Orleans’ humid, sticky nights didn’t faze the projector—Skinner left it mounted outside the entrance for 2 months (through summer thunderstorms) with zero glitches. “I never touch it,” he says. “It turns on at dusk, runs till last call, and shuts off—perfect for a busy bar.”
In 5 weeks:
Late-night (10 PM–2 AM) foot traffic doubled—most new guests say they followed the “mysterious ripples” to the door.
Cocktail sales of the speakeasy’s signature Ripple Fizz rose by 42%—guests order it to match the wall’s water patterns.
“Gobohub’s projector turned ‘hidden’ into a feature, not a flaw,” Skinner says. “In a city full of loud bars, a quiet ripple is the thing that makes people lean in.”
