Partiers like the idea of leaving with a dishwasher-safe souvenir. Arlegui, owner of the Clay Room in Belmont. Customers choose precast pottery pieces, called bisque, and paint them with designs of their choosing.
Stores supply all the materials, then glaze and fire the pieces.
They're usually ready in a week or so. During the daytime, the stores are popular with everyone from kids celebrating birthdays to senior citizens. On weekend evenings, young adults toting their own beer and wine flock to the shops for casual gatherings, owners say. Many will stay open later than advertised on a Friday or Saturday night, as long as the crowd is having fun, or if you've made a reservation. One group comes to South of Soho every Thursday night after work, bringing along bags of fast food to eat as they paint and socialize, Goodman said.