An arcade business in Ann Arbor and East Lansing, Mich., for more than 40 years, Pinball Pete’s recently took to GoFundMe to raise money in order to keep the doors open. They’re currently at more than $90,000 of their $125,000 goal.
When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered arcades closed in March 2020, Pinball Pete’s owner Mike Reynolds didn’t think the mandate would stretch into fall, when the arcades were finally allowed to reopen. “We figured it will be okay,” he said. “We’ll have a couple of weeks to do some other things and half a year later – we’re all just doing what we can to hang on.”
“Though times are always changing and trends come and go, arcades are an important part of history and culture in our world and we have always done our best to adapt to change in order to keep the passion for arcades alive,” Reynolds wrote. “We are now asking for help from the friends, families, and communities that have helped to shape what Pinball Pete’s is today. I still love to hear the stories of first dates, exciting birthdays, or late college nights spent in Pinball Pete’s, and we can only hope that those traditions and special days continue to be shared under our roof.” Learn more at www.pinballpetes.net.