Dane County, Wis., is getting ready to end its emergency pandemic orders and several bars and restaurants in the area have been welcoming back guests, including I/O Arcade Bar, which spent the majority of the past 14 months closed due to the pandemic. “It was really easy to get pessimistic, but it was always something where we just always had to find a way to get through one more month and one more month,” said owner Mitchell Turino. He told WKOW that the business spent part of the time moving into a bigger space, which delayed reopening. “I think that…
Author: Matt Harding
Celebrating the 41st year of Pac-Man, Bandai Namco and the National Basketball Assn. have teamed up to create new levels for the mobile version of the game. Fans who log into the mobile Pac-Man app can take part in a special NBA-themed anniversary event, according to Screenrant, which features 20 new levels. In addition to the NBA content, Bandai Namco is offering Pac-Man merchandise at 30% off its usual price – from t-shirts and puzzles to a mystery box from the 40th anniversary celebration last year. Click here to play and learn more.
Family Entertainment Group recently announced that Lisa Price is the company’s new vice president of brand development. Price joined FEG in 2008 as a merchandise manager at Kalahari in Sandusky, Ohio. “Since that time, her career has flourished as she has continued to accept more responsibilities culminating in her promotion to vice president of merchandise,” the company said. Since assuming that role, Price took the lead in several other key areas at FEG, including overseeing marketing operations and food and beverage, which led to her new position. Learn more about the company at www.fegllc.com.
The newest contest from AMI Entertainment will feature country music artist Blake Shelton. Open through June 2, fans can enter for a chance to win a 7” vinyl and t-shirt from Shelton’s debut single Austin and merch from his newest release, Body Language. Austin came out 20 years ago and spent five weeks at the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Body Language is his first album in four years. That AMI merch bundle will include a vinyl copy of the album, plus a t-shirt, candle and mug. You can enter on the AMI Music app, available…
Freeplay Bar & Arcade, with its classic games from the 1980s and 1990s, has fully resumed operations in Providence after Rhode Island ended the mask mandate for fully vaccinated residents last week. The business also plans to open a new location in Worcester, Mass., by the end of June, according to WBZ. Along with retro video games, Freeplay has pinball, air hockey, Skee Ball and racing machines. Learn more about it and get up-to-date information on the new location at www.freeplaybar.com.
Brad Mark, co-owner and COO of Pole Position Raceway in Las Vegas, recently spoke with Virtuix CEO Jan Goetgeluk about how he attracts more guests with the VR company’s flagship Omni Arena. Mark said he uses several online ticketing sites to market Omni Arena, including Tickets.com, Expedia, and Vegas.com. He reports that after listing the attraction on Vegas.com, revenues increased by 53%. Mark adds that guests coming to Pole Position for the Omni Arena experience usually stay longer and add go-karting races. On the other hand, guests who come to race are also playing Omni Arena. Average spend per customer…
Following our recent newsletter item about pinball machines being banned in Los Angeles in 1939, Stern Pinball President Gary Stern shared some stories about pinball bans – and their reversals – around the country: Around that time, pinball was banned in LA, New York City, Chicago. See Pop Culture Panics by Karen Sternheimer, (Routledge, New York City, 2015) page 66. The most important and first event in the reversal of these pinball bans was the 1974 California Supreme Court case, Cossack v. City of Los Angeles, 11 Cal.3rd 726, wherein the Court ruled pinball is a game of skill. https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/3d/11/726.html; scocal.stanford.edu/opinion/cossack-v-city-los-angeles-27830 In determining…
Bowling entrepreneurs Pat and Lisa Ciniello were recently featured in Business Observer, discussing their optimism about the future of the business and their investments in family entertainment. Pat, who’s also chairman of QubicaAMF, runs the Fort Myers, Fla.-based Bowling Management Associates with Lisa. The company is the parent brand over Bowland and HeadPinz Entertainment Centers. In June 2020, the pair also bought Zoomers Amusement Park. Revenue from all six of their bowling centers was up in Q1 2021 and is on pace to beat 2019’s numbers by about 15% this year. Regarding growing their customer base and market share, Lisa…
TrainerTainment will host its first in-person conference of 2021 from June 2-3 at the Aloft Hotel in Euless, Texas. The two-day training session, led by founder and CEO Beth Standlee, focuses on proven techniques that the company says enables participants to grow their business faster, run it more effectively and maximize its potential. “We couldn’t be more excited to reunite with other leaders,” Standlee said. “These two days promise to inspire, educate and encourage all in attendance.” Among the topics: goal setting, meaningful meetings, performance leadership and marketing. Click here to register. Cost to attend is $149 per person. Email [email protected]…
The Wisconsin Amusement & Music Operators Assn. got rolling with their annual dart tournament yesterday, May 20, drawing over 3,800 people to the Resch Expo in Ashwaubenon, Wis. The event, which has a whopping 240 dart boards for the 10,000 entries, will run through this Sunday. Thanks to Colorado/Wyoming operator Bob Burnham’s photographic and news-gathering skills, we have this gorgeous shot of the setup and news that the association reports Team Darts is down about 8%, but Cricket Singles is up about 33%. RePlay will share the results when they become available.