Denver’s Super Awesome Fun Factory
Operator’s New Venue is a Private Party Arcade & More
A child of the 1980s, Andrew Shear loved arcades. Growing up outside of Chicago, he went to his local Aladdin’s Castle every week. As an adult, he once decided to buy an arcade game for his house. It was a Ms. Pac-Man/Galaga combo machine and he spent a lot of time learning about and working on the unit.
By 2009, he decided to start Mile High Arcade, a route operation that now has 75 locations in the Denver area – from Colorado Springs to Fort Collins. He has mostly bar and restaurant locations, but also services some hotels, ski resorts and FECs. He also does event rentals. (Mile High Arcade’s business is about 70% revenue share vs. 30% event rentals.)
Shear operates classic and brand-new video games, pinball machines, Skee-Ball, pool tables and more. So many that he bought a building in 2018 and eventually turned the warehouse into a showroom.
“Then we realized, ‘Why don’t we host private events here?’ he said, and Super Awesome Fun Factory was born.
His pandemic project is located in a repurposed 7,000-sq.-ft. space that was completed in 2021 and officially held its first party on June 24. Think of it as your own private arcade. From children’s birthday parties and 50th birthday parties to corporate events and team building outings, the space is built for all ages.
With 104 games at Super Awesome Fun Factory, Shear said they’re about at capacity. The venue’s games are mostly new (about 60%) and the rest are classics. Here’s an idea of just some of what you can find on the floor (visit www.fun factory denver.com/games to see the full, up-to-date list):
The indie vid Killer Queen, Bandai Namco’s World’s Largest Pac-Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Dance Dance Revolution Super Nova. You’ll also find classics like Burgertime, Asteroids, NBA Jam, Pole Position, Donkey Kong, Frogger, Tron and Space Invaders.
Let’s not forget about the two dozen pinball machines. They have everything from Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars, Stranger Things and Ghostbusters to Rick and Morty, Willy Wonka, Guns N’ Roses, Monster Ball and Medieval Madness.
Other fun games include air hockey tables, foosball tables, pool tables, shuffleboard, a beer pong table, an Over the Top arm wrestling machine and Skee-Ball (of course).
There’s also a 2,000-sq.-ft. outdoor patio space and 1,500 sq. ft. of kitchen and lounge areas. For food and beverage, a bar service is available, or guests can bring their own alcohol. Food truck and catering options are also available.
The venue has two party packages available. For 1-50 people, it’s $25 per person per hour (with a two-hour minimum) or for more than 50 people, it’s $20 per person per hour (also with a two-hour minimum). Both packages come with access to all the games.
“It’s an additional revenue stream,” Shear explained of his decision to open the new business. “We finally have enough games to do it correctly. Denver definitely needs a cool space for private parties.”
Learn more about the event space at www.funfactorydenver.com. You can also visit www.milehigharcade.com for more about Shear’s route.