Bill Duggan, owner of Madam’s Organ, a blues bar in Washington, D.C., has been among the business owners in the capital city pitching an idea to open at 100% capacity – as long as staff and patrons have been vaccinated. On May 1, Mayor Muriel Bowser is letting venues and bars with live entertainment partially reopen (at 25% capacity), according to Washington City Paper, however, Duggan’s won’t be one of them. “Unless I can figure out a way to hang my customers on the wall, there is just no way we can have a crowd in there,” he said. Bowser…
Author: Matt Harding
The former Spring Hill Golf & Batting Cages facility in Schnecksville, Pa., will reopen tomorrow, May 1, as Rolling Hills Recreation. According to The Morning Call, new owners AJ McCloskey and a friend and business partner have renovated the 2-acre site by putting $130,000 of upgrades into the 18-hole mini-golf course, clubhouse and snack bar, as well as the four baseball and four softball stations. A new special feature on nine of the mini-golf holes will be a “mischief spinner,” where players can spin a wheel before their shots to get additional challenges, including: “Choose an opponent to stand on…
Axes in O’s opened in Barboursville, W.V., last Friday, April 23. The axe throwing facility, which is also a bar, has six lanes that can hold up to six guests apiece. “It’s becoming a recreational activity instead of a sport now, so it’s a lot different for people to do around here and it’s something new to the area, so it’s going to get popular and everyone’s going to be doing it now,” owner Zander Wagner told WCHS. The business currently sells drinks but is planning to expand into a full-service restaurant later this year. Learn more at www.axesinoswv.com.
Join IATP counsel Wayne Pierce for a Lunch & Learn event detailing the best practices for managing security incidents, which will be held on May 4 from 1-2 p.m. Eastern time via Zoom. Click here to register. “At some parks in the USA there have been increases in disturbances both in and outside the premises,” says the virtual event’s synopsis. “Learn about techniques for preventing or managing security incidents within the constraints of the law. Topics to be covered will include: use of security firms, removing guests from the park, crowd management, media statements and who is responsible for off-site…
The Covid rule that New York bars criticized is finally gone, capping 10 months of the establishments being forced to serve food with alcohol purchases. According to The New York Times, the state legislature has moved to suspend Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s directive, which was originally imposed last July. At the time, the governor said it was an attempt to keep patrons seated at tables and reduce mingling. However, the bar and restaurant industry called it arbitrary and economically harmful to bars that weren’t used to serving food. The rule became the butt of jokes since it started, as many bars…
Slam ‘n’ Jam has been reinvented and will be rereleased in a brand-new format for 2021, according to manufacturer LAI Games. The company reports its classic basketball hit now features a vibrant 32-inch HDTV backboard that augments gameplay with a progress meter and score, plus a game timer and the goal the player needs to get to the next round. “The modern and stylish cabinet is well lit with LED lighting to attract attention, while the durable steel net appeals to old-school street basketball fans,” LAI Games wrote. “Modern soundtracks and play-by-play commentary make it a crowd favorite – and…
May 4 is Star Wars Day (aka “May the fourth be with you”) and Emporium Arcade Bar in Las Vegas is celebrating with specialty cocktails and free play on their Star Wars pinball machine. According to KTNV, to honor the world-renowned film franchise’s special holiday, the business will not only allow free play all day on Star Wars pinball, they’ll also have themed drinks. Plus, guests who arrive in Star Wars-themed costumes will receive 10 free game tokens. The facility is located inside AREA15, the brand-new art and entertainment district near the Las Vegas Strip. It’s free to enter, but…
Mr. Gatti’s Pizza has welcomed a new franchise operator – David Duron – in Waco, Texas, according to Restaurant News. “Our team is incredibly excited to welcome Mr. Duron into the franchise network,” said Devin Conner, director of franchise sales. “He is driven, motivated and an extremely on-point business professional.” It will be the 70th Mr. Gatti’s location nationwide. Mr. Gatti’s offers two franchise models: the classic pizza buffet and arcade or a carryout-only model. The company is currently focused on expanding in the Midwest and Southeast, and is looking to further expand in Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgie, Indiana, Kansas,…
Leap Action Park in Manhattan, Kan., will be ready to open sometime this summer after Covid delays pushed back construction. According to KSNT, the trampoline park – a Kansas chain with two other locations – will feature “American Ninja Warrior-style” jumping entertainment. The location was supposed to be open in 2020, but they had to “roll with the punches” delivered by the virus, said event and social media director Trae McPherson. “There’s a lot of families here, but not a lot of facilities to host them,” said the company’s vice president of operations Jason Hardy. “We’ve done our market research.…
AMOA held its annual State Council Meeting last week, April 22-24, at the Sheraton Mesa at Wrigleyville West in Mesa, Ariz. “Reassessing the Landscape” was the event’s theme and highlights included an outing at Dobson Ranch Golf Club, a legislative update from AMOA’s counsel Dentons and panels that gave different business perspectives from around the country. With the golf outing and a welcome reception held on April 22, the following day was all about meetings under the Reassessing the Landscape theme – hearing updates from various manufacturers, suppliers and operators. One panel included Josh Pick of Incredible Technologies, Nate McQuillen…