Happy Valley Arcade Bar in Beacon, N.Y., opened last August during the pandemic and couldn’t have had worse timing, considering they were forced to close down the arcade games after about a week in business due to state Covid regulations. Since late March, the games have been back on – putting the happy back in Happy Valley.
“It was a bummer,” said co-owner Alyssa Follansbee on the inability to plug in games. “Everyone who walked in would ask us, ‘Are the games broken?’ Having to explain, ‘No, they’re shut off, and you have to buy a food item’ just killed the positive energy.”
No longer do patrons have to buy food to get a drink in the outdoor courtyard. In fact, they can even be inside now – enjoying not only a brew but loads of vintage arcade games like NBA Jam, Ms. Pac-Man and Donkey Kong.
“It’s been so nice to hear the games on and hear people groan and cheer,” said fellow co-owner Johnny Coughlin. “It’s like something from the ‘Before Times.’ We haven’t been this busy since we opened, so it’s a lot of kicking things into high gear but it feels really good.”
Learn more about the business, including its full lineup of arcade games, at www.happyvalleybeacon.com.