Two Paths to Play
Lessons from FatCats and Blazer Tag
by Barry Zelickson
Family entertainment centers come in all shapes and sizes across this great country – but every now and then, you walk into a place that makes you stop and say, “This is something special.” On our latest swing through the Southwest and South-Central United States, we found exactly that. Twice. FatCats in Mesa, Arizona, proved that an entertainment center can be an all-day destination rather than a quick stop, while Blazer Tag in Austin, Texas, showed us what 25 years of passion, community and relentless love for a single attraction can build. Pull up a seat – and maybe a citadel cocktail – because we have stories to tell.
FatCats – Mesa, Arizona
The phrase “entertainment center on steroids” gets thrown around in this industry, but the first time you step into FatCats Mesa, you understand that general manager Jason is using it with full conviction. Bowling. Mini-golf. A full arcade. A bar and restaurant. And eight – count them, eight – luxury movie theaters where your server will bring food and drinks directly to your reclining seat. FatCats, born in Salt Lake City, Utah, has been doing this since 1999, and now commands four locations in the Phoenix metro area alone, four more in Utah and one in Rexburg, Idaho.
“We are really like an entertainment center on steroids,” said Jason, the general manager.
What sets FatCats apart starts the moment you grab a game card. The operation is entirely paperless – the card functions as an in-house debit card for games, bowling, mini-golf and more, and any tickets you win load directly onto it. As our host Nate Reinhart put it: “No more losing tickets or having your brother steal your tickets.” The 20 glow-in-the-dark bowling lanes feature automatic scoring and bumpers for the little ones, and with multiple big screens overhead, the lanes double as a social lounge on game days.
But the real conversation-stopper is the theater wing. Each of the eight auditoriums is equipped with Dolby Atmos sound, and every single seat, from front to back, reclines identically. FatCats sweetens the deal once a week with their “$5 Tuesday” promotion: every movie, every showing, all day long for five dollars. This summer, they’re adding throwback programming as well, including a morning kids’ classic series and a Thursday date-night series featuring action films and crowd-pleasers.
Nate summed up why that matters: “Being able to go into a theater and laugh with a bunch of people, it’s different, even if you watch the same movie at home with your friends.” It’s having an experience with that many people all at once that really makes an impact. (By the way, we may have gotten a little too excited when Jason mentioned a big-screen return of the original Jurassic Park.)
What Makes It Unique
The combination of a full luxury cinema operation with a traditional FEC under one roof is genuinely rare. Add a fully paperless game card system, themed cocktails inspired by film releases (the “Citadel” drink made with blood orange vodka and butterfly pea flower tea was a genuine work of art), and spirit nights that kick back a percentage to local schools, and you have a venue that’s woven into its community fabric.
Speaking of community: FatCats hosts corporate events for up to 600 guests, runs school field trips and overnight events for graduating high schoolers, and partners regularly with local organizations through their spirit night program. The venue’s family-first focus isn’t just marketing copy. Jason noted that summer brings the absolute peak of their foot traffic, and the operation is clearly built to handle it with grace.
Blazer Tag — Austin, Texas
You see it before you even pull into the parking lot: a full-scale UFO crash-landed into the side of the building, angled toward the neighboring highway like the world’s most effective billboard. It’s been there for 13-plus years, and owner Joe Michael still gets texts about it almost every single day. That’s the kind of place Blazer Tag is – an Austin landmark masquerading as a laser tag arena. “I love the outside of the building,” Nate told Joe Michael during our visit. “It just stands out – when you’re driving on the road, it was like, ‘Oh wow, that’s where we’re going.’ It was obvious.”
And what a laser tag arena it is! With its 57-player maximum capacity and a footprint large enough that games run a full 20 minutes just to let players see it all, Blazer Tag is the undisputed largest laser tag facility in all of Texas. It’s been a fixture of the Austin entertainment scene for 25 years – and Joe Michael has been a part of it for 22 of them, starting as a 16-year-old looking for part-time work to help his mother. Today, he co-owns the business with his partner Sneha, and his commitment to the place is evident in every corner.
“I just needed a part-time job, but kind of worked my way up,” Joe Michael said. “I developed a passion for this place, and so I figured, hey, why not do what I love?”
The arena itself is constantly evolving. Mirrors, lighting changes and atmospheric additions get rotated in over time. But what really keeps guests coming back is the game variety: zombie mode, capture the flag, solo battles and advanced team games ensure that no two visits feel the same. The operation runs games every 20 minutes, accommodating walk-ins, date nights, college students, corporate events and families with equal ease. On a busy Austin weekend – even with a football game and racing event competing for attention – Blazer Tag still averages around 20 birthday parties on a single Saturday.
“When you get people coming back year after year,” Nate observed, “it means they enjoyed the experience so much that they want to do it again — that’s the ultimate thank you: a returning customer.”
Blazer Tag also offers a full arcade that still uses physical tokens and tickets – a deliberate, beloved choice that leans into nostalgia with zero apology. Nate called it “pretty fun and very nostalgic to the days of my youth.” Their newest attraction is a sports simulator featuring 12 different modes including golf, football, home run derby and basketball.
And the food and beverage program, helmed by Chris, Garrett and CJ, goes well beyond the expected: loaded waffle fries, tacos, warm cookies with ice cream, frozen margaritas, beer and wine. Explained Joe, “We’re trying to compete with all these other places and have some higher-end foods rather than just your basic pizza and hot dog.”
The combination of institutional longevity, owner-operator passion and a team culture that borders on family. Next in line, Julio, has been there 15 to 16 years and Vincent for 13, creating something national chains simply can’t replicate. Blazer Tag is a neighborhood institution, and it feels like one from the moment that UFO comes into view.
Perhaps the most telling detail: Joe Michael’s own son wants to come every single day and uses the promise of Blazer Tag as leverage with his friends. He’s been the hype man for the family business even before he was a teenager. When asked whether he envisioned it becoming a true family operation, Joe didn’t hesitate: “I could consider them all a family already.”
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Fat Cats Mesa is the answer to every time you’ve wondered what to do with a full free day – whether you’re eight years old or 80. The luxury cinema alone is worth the trip (especially on a Tuesday), and the sheer variety of activities means no one in your group goes home wishing they’d done something else. Four Phoenix-area locations make it easy to find your nearest outpost, and with new locations coming, FatCats is clearly here to stay.
Blazer Tag is the rare kind of place that earns the word “iconic” without any irony. If you’re in Austin, do not pass that UFO without pulling in. The arena will make you feel like a kid again, and the team Joe Michael has built makes every guest feel like a regular. Tell them Fun Across America sent you.
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None of these visits – and none of these stories – happen without the generous support of our sponsors. Sincere thanks go to Rhode Island Novelty, the redemption partner that entertainment centers across the country count on; Roller, powering the next generation of venue management; Semnox, the complete guest journey solution for location-based entertainment; and Do The Beach, for helping families find their next great memory. We are grateful for every one of you.
Barry Zelickson, is the co-creator of Fun Across America, a YouTube channel travelogue show. Zelickson has worked in the entertainment field for almost 30 years and has been awarded several IAAPA Brass Ring awards including one of the association’s highest honors, Family Entertainment Center of the World. His other projects include commercials, infomercials, feature films, documentaries, live events and entertainment centers.
Nate Reinhart, host and co-creator of Fun Across America, is a content creator for NalterDeeds and NalterCards on YouTube and content consultant for creators and businesses alike. After a shoutout from MrBeast, Nate has accumulated over 250,000 subscribers on his YouTube channels.