Shamrock Beef & Ale, a bar in Wildwood, N.J., will be closed for the entire summer for repeated violations of Covid-19 health and safety orders, CBS Philly reports. Under a negotiated settlement with the state, the business will have its liquor license suspended from May 1 through Sept. 30. They’ll reopen Oct. 1 instead of operating without the ability to serve alcohol. According to the state’s Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), the Wildwood Police Department conducted a compliance inspection in November 2020 and ABC conducted another this March, where they found “numerous” violations that included not following social distancing…
Author: Matt Harding
Many FECs in New Hampshire have been open just a few days each week due to the pandemic, according to WMUR, but for the next week some will have expanded hours since it’s school vacation week. XtremeCraze in Londonderry is one of those businesses. They offer laser tag, an arcade and an inflatable airpark. “This vacation week, we are just a great option to get out of the house and have fun with friends and family,” said owner Gregory Hughes. The business, like other fun centers in the state, is operating at 50% capacity and requiring masks. Cowabunga’s Indoor Inflatable…
Earlier this month, school counselor and lifelong bowler John Hinkle Jr. of Peoria, Ill., bowled a perfect game using a ball that contained his father’s ashes. According to CNN, Hinkle Jr. bowled a 300 more than a dozen times, but took to the lanes with the special mission of honoring his father – John Hinkle Sr. – using the unique ball. “He never had a perfect game until NOW,” the son wrote on Facebook, where he shared a video of the moment. Hinkle Jr. and his twin brother Joe started leagues when they were just four years old. A year…
Bars and restaurants in France will soon open in a staggered fashion and on a regional basis, according to Reuters. It will depend on whether or not Covid-19 is brought under control, President Emmanuel Macron said recently, but bars and restaurants are expected to be allowed to reopen outdoors in mid-May. Those venues in the country have been closed since the end of October 2020, when France started a second month-long nationwide lockdown. They did not reopen in December when non-food shops were allowed to. The full reopening of indoor venues will depend on the virus – possibly from early…
Gov. Ralph Northam recently announced that the state of Virginia will further loosen capacity restrictions on businesses starting May 15. That includes indoor and outdoor FECs at 50% capacity, up from the current 30% capacity. Indoor entertainment venues will be capped at 1,000 people, though that obviously won’t impact too many FECs. The entertainment venue category also includes bowling alleys, escape rooms, movie theaters, trampoline parks and more. Restaurants will also be able to sell alcohol after midnight again. “I’m optimistic that we will be able to take more steps in June,” Northam said. “We are working to significantly ramp…
Coeur d’Alene’s “first game bar,” called The Blue Shell, will open Friday, May 7, in the northern Idaho city, say owners Katy Kellum, Nicole Schaefer and Patric Schafer (pictured below). According to The Press, the front room of the business will feature old-school arcade games and pinball machines, games built into the bar and a console area for tournaments. The back room will have a large board game library and allow patrons to bring their own games. There are 16 beers on tap, wine, espresso and food items available. Learn more at www.theblueshellcda.com.
Champions Fun Center, closed since November due to the Covid pandemic, has decided to permanently close, according to the Lincoln Journal Star. “Covid-19 and 2020 have been rough on us all, including Champions Fun Center,” the business posted on its Facebook page recently. “It is with heavy hearts that we have decided to close. Thanks for your support over the last 20 years.” The venue featured mini-golf, go-karts, bowling and other activities. VRLY Storm Basketball is under contract to purchase the facility and turn it into an athletic club and hangout spot for kids and teens.
In the midst of a fundraiser that has garnered nearly $175,000, the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas has moved into its new $10 million complex across from the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign on The Strip. First opened in 2006, the business moved into its most recent location in 2009. Now, reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal, it’s in the new 26,000-sq.-ft. building that currently houses 300 classic pinball machines. Eventually, it’ll be up to 700. Click here to read the full story about how the Pinball Hall of Fame came to be thanks to owner Tim Arnold and…
Allowed to open as of April 1, California’s theme parks are now able to welcome out-of-state guests – as long as they’re vaccinated. No proof of vaccination is required for entry if you’re a California resident. According to Patch, that doesn’t mean that all parks will follow the “ever-changing theme park reopening criteria.” It’s been quite varied so far in the state with only a few parks opening as soon as they were allowed to do so. Among those already open are Universal Studios Hollywood, Legoland California and Six Flags Magic Mountain. Disneyland is set to open this Friday, April…
The Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City, N.J., will debut its new 103,000-sq.-ft. arcade Lucky Snake on May 15. Among the attractions are boardwalk-style games, classics like Skee Ball and pinball, mini bowling, virtual reality and even a regulation-size boxing ring for live fights. According to Philadelphia Magazine, there’s also a sports bar and restaurant with huge TVs screens and a state-of-the-art “online gamer annex.” Showboat Hotel owner and developer Bart Blatstein said, “Everybody loves an arcade. People can walk out of a movie not enjoying the movie. People can walk out of a casino and not have a good time,…