Pixeled, an arcade brewery in Fargo, N.D., is back up and running with some new guidelines in place to keep patrons distanced. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum allowed bars to reopen on May 1 under a set of rules called “ND Smart Restart.”
As a taproom and arcade, the business says it’s taken extra steps with bottles of hand sanitizer that line the bar, seats moved six feet apart and ensuring patrons don’t stand at the bar for extended periods of time, according to Inforum.
Where the arcade is concerned, general manager Nick Hill said every other machine is turned off to distance the players – meaning about 30 of their 60 games are operational. Pixeled rewired the machines to alternate which ones are turned on with the flick of a switch.
The state is only allowing 50% capacity, but Pixeled is only allowing about 25% itself – about 50 patrons at once. They’ve also installed UV lighting in the air circulation system to help clean the air, Hill said.
Pixeled is a relatively new business, opened in late 2018, and sought help from patrons during its closure, raising a little more than $2,600 via GoFundMe. That, plus sales from gift cards and merchandise tided them over to May. Learn more at www.pixeled.beer.