Jersey Jack Pinball Taking it to Infinity and Beyond with Toy Story 4 A central theme of a lot of pinball-related operator profiles in this magazine is how their passion for the game began when they were young. Just read some of the comments in this month’s Question of the Month feature for further proof. Interestingly, Jack Guarnieri recalled, “I didn’t play pinball as a kid.” Now 47 years into the industry, the Jersey Jack Pinball founder certainly has come a long way. Guarnieri came into the business when he began working on games as a pinball mechanic – start…
Author: RePlay Editor
Aiming for More Excitement Champ Throw Brings Their Brand Of Gamified Axe Throwing to Market Axe throwing is quickly going beyond the usual plywood model and Champ Throw aims to be at the forefront of innovation. The company got its start in the axe throwing world in 2018 with their Extreme Axe Throwing ranges in Florida. There, they began to develop interactive axe throwing, which became a hit and is now on the retail market as of September 2021. “We got really, really popular through social media through our own venues,” said Jennifer Nesselhaus, Champ Throw’s business development manager. Prior…
3-Year Topper Joe Camarota Leaves AAMA Presidency with New Mission At the AAMA’s Annual Meeting held toward the end of last month, the association came away with a new president and a new mission statement – “To make the industry better through collaboration, education, advocacy and networking.” It’s what the association’s past president Joe Camarota, who’s led the coin-op group since 2019, has been doing during his tenure, and something AAMA’s been fostering for years. “I went in with a lot of enthusiasm and a large agenda, and then a few months after that, Covid hit,” he said. Of course,…
Reflecting on the Jersey Jack Pinball Journey by Jack Guarnieri, Jersey Jack Pinball & PinballSales.com Millions of people have an idea to start a business, but not everyone follows through and does it. In late 2010, with the shadow of Recession still looming, I thought about starting a new kind of pinball company. I envisioned one that would design and build great games using new technology and would also grow the player base to attract more women and young people. Throughout our industry’s history, there have been many pinball makers that have come and gone. Even some public companies folded…
Communication is MORE than Words By Beth Standlee, CEO, TrainerTainment I recently enjoyed a grand adventure, traveling internationally with friends. I even got to see my son, who lives in Madrid. Communication was a recurring theme throughout the journey. It’s an interesting process no matter the language you speak. Lots of information passes back and forth even when the languages are different. We encountered Spanish, French, Italian (gestures work best with that group), and Greek! I promise the phrase, “It’s Greek to me,” is a good saying. For the life of me, I still can’t remember how to say thank…
Elev8 Fun Doing Just That in Florida PrimeTime’s David Goldfarb Brings New Brand of Fun to Sunshine State by Matt Harding David Goldfarb, owner of the new Elev8 Fun entertainment center in Sanford, Florida, started PrimeTime Amusements when he was in college at 19 years old. Today, the company has offices in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. “The business grew from operations into sales where we distribute and consult with entertainment centers all over the world,” Goldfarb explained. He’s been leading PrimeTime Amusements for nearly 30 years. In 2015, he opened up an FEC of his own with real estate developer Michael…
From the Pool Hall To the Route: Amusement Devices Continues Growth After Decades in Biz by Matt Harding In 1964, Gordon and Marjorie Jacobson opened up a pool hall called the Side Pocket in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. For decades, after their eventual route became Amusement Devices, it was a family business owned by their children – Eric, Ann, Kurt and Joe. They sold to their employees last September. Kurt and Joe Jacobson said the original business was an early FEC concept, where the Jacobsons had not only billiards, but pinballs, a Wurlitzer jukeboxes and a small menu with hamburgers, hot dogs…
Reflections on Amusement Expo 2022 Finding Many Positives, McAuliffe Looks to Make AEI Even Better by Howard McAuliffe, Partner, Pinnacle Entertainment Group Jim Gorczyca, the President and CEO of O’Fallon Brewery, said, “I think the continued focus on your super-local market is still running as the biggest trend in brewing. Your hyper-local market is what shapes successful breweries and restaurants.” While reading this quote in a Sept. 2 article by Maddy Simpson in the St. Louis Business Journal, I realized this trend is also a key to driving profits in family entertainment centers and on routes. This trend became more…
Amusement Expo International organizers have announced a major expansion to its exhibit floor and educational program with the addition of the long-running “BCA Expo” (the Billiard & Home Leisure Expo) starting with the 2023 AEI. For the past 40 years, the BCA Expo has served as the premier show for everything from billiards to barstools, cues to casual furniture, ping pong to shuffleboard, and more. Owned and operated by the Billiard Congress of America (BCA), the annual expo will unite with AEI for the first time during its March 27-30, 2023, event at the Las Vegas Convention Center. “The BCA…
A Tasty & Fun Collaboration FACE Amusement Group Opens Downtown Flavortown with Guy Fieri by Matt Harding Guy Fieri’s Downtown Flavortown opened March 8 at the Mountain Mile Shopping Complex in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. A ribbon-cutting ceremony and VIP reception was held June 13. The new facility from the famed chef and TV personality is certainly not his first foray into eateries, but it is his first full-fledged FEC. The concept, brought to life by the owner-operator FACE Amusement Group, may even be coming to a city near you. “We’re in the process of finding the next location now,” said…