The South Carolina-based concept 810 Billiards & Bowling will soon open its first two Arizona locations (in Phoenix and Chandler) in the next few weeks. Poonam and Ronak Manek, the wife-husband duo who own the Chandler franchise, said it’s an exciting time to start the business. “We feel as though people are ready to get out and start having a social life again,” Poonam said. “Meeting with friends and getting out with the family or doing whatever is up their alley, pun intended.” According to SanTan Sun News, the Chandler location will have 12 bowling lanes – eight regular and…
Author: Matt Harding
Andamiro USA recently told its distributors and operators to expect delays of up to two weeks on shipments of recent parts orders. The company says they’re in the final phase of relocating their headquarters from Gardena, Calif. to Irving, Texas. While the relocation is causing the shipping delays, the transition into the new office and warehouse will be completed by the end of June. “We expect parts shipments to return to normal by July 1 or sooner,” said Andamiro USA president Drew Maniscalco. “We apologize for any inconvenience. The situation is temporary and anticipated during the final phase of our…
IAAPA is now accepting entries and nominations for its 2021 IAAPA Awards Programs, which include the IAAPA Hall of Fame Awards, IAAPA Service Awards, IAAPA Young Professional of the Year Award and IAAPA Brass Ring Awards. The deadline to submit for the Hall of Fame honor and Service Awards is July 16. Meanwhile, the deadline for the Young Professional and Brass Ring Awards is Aug. 15. Because the 2020 Brass Ring Award Program was postponed, the eligibility period was extended to August 2019 through July 2021. All award winners will be announced in late October and the awards will be…
University Family Fun Center, billed as “Philadelphia’s only traditional arcade,” recently opted to switch from tokens to Intercard’s cashless technology. Owner Billy Schoepe says the change is “the greatest thing I’ve ever done.” The arcade, opened as a pinball venue in 1977 by Billy’s father William Schoepe, previously changed in 2009 when Billy took over; it became an FEC when the younger proprietor added Skee-Ball, more video games and redemption machines. They also switched from coins to tokens. But now it’s on to the next chapter with cashless, which Billy said has led to a “huge increase in purchasing.” He…
The AMOA Coin-Op Cares Education & Charitable Foundation recently announced that they’ll award 58 $1,000 scholarships for the 2021-2022 school year. Over the course of 30-plus years, the Wayne E. Hesch Memorial Scholarship program has awarded more than $1.5 million to students with a connection to coin-op. “For over three decades Coin-Op Cares has provided several hundred students with scholarships to assist them in their pursuit of higher education,” said Foundation chair and AMOA president Greg Trent. “In a year that’s been challenging for so many, the Foundation Board unanimously voted to award scholarships to all applicants who submitted a…
As of June 1, registration is open for IAAPA Expo in Orlando – held this year from Nov. 16-19. Click here to register and get more details on attendance. “Meeting online got us through a long year,” IAAPA Expo organizers wrote, “but now we’re excited to open registration for our in-person IAAPA Expo 2021 this November.” They continued: “This marks a unique opportunity to use the lessons learned to define a new era and take innovation to the next level.” The association also detailed their Health and Safety Guidelines for the show, which as of now include mandatory use of…
The Atari VCS home video game console will launch in the United States on June 15, according to USA Today. The consoles start at $299.99; bundles that include a wireless classic joystick and modern controller will sell for $399.99. The VCS “looks and feels a lot like Atari’s classic consoles” from the 1980s but has modern touches like 4K, wifi and Bluetooth support, plus a PC mode that will allow players to install Windows or Linux as an alternate operating system. The console provides free access to several classic titles from the Atari library, including Asteroids, Centipede and Missile Command.…
Replay Lincoln Park, a vintage arcade bar in Chicago, is hosting a Nick Arcade pop-up starting June 11. The pop-up will feature Nickelodeon cartoon classics from the ’90s like Rugrats, Rocko’s Modern Life and Doug. According to the business’ Instagram page, the event will feature photo-ops from those and other favorite shows like Good Burger, Double Dare and Legends of the Hidden Temple. There will also be “drinks inspired by your favorite throwback lunchroom snacks and drinks, and of course, plenty of SLIME.” Reservations are available now and buyers will get a $20 drink credit with their purchase (guests under 21…
Trifecta Management Group, the entertainment-restaurant concept development and management firm, recently announced that Rebecca Metzner was promoted to director of sales and marketing. The company said Metzner has quickly become a vital part of the team and proven herself to be “creative and highly organized and an effective communicator in all aspects of our business, including brand development, promotional planning, training and event implementation.” “Rebecca’s hard work, enthusiasm and creativity have enriched the projects and clients she has worked with,” said Bridget Smith, a TMG partner and its chief marketing officer. “Rebecca has led the branding and marketing efforts for…
As of June 1, there are no capacity limits or specific Covid restrictions at public events in Las Vegas, report organizers of Amusement Expo, which will be held in the city June 29-July 1. However, they said they will “retain many of the Covid mitigation plans” that were already in place, namely adhering to CDC guidelines on face coverings. That means attendees, exhibitors and others on the trade show floor and at other Expo events will not have to wear a face mask if they’re fully vaccinated. Those who are not fully vaccinated will be encouraged to wear a mask,…