If you opened an arcade...

[Flake]

I thought of another reason arcades fail:

Rent.

I think that for any individually owned arcade to be successful, it'd be imperative to OWN your building, even if it means buying something a little decrepit and fixing it up.

[Octopod]

Almost all businesses pay rent.


Don't serve alcohol until after 5 or 6 or 7 PM. All ages up until the bar opens.

[dlmvii]

My dad used to do accounting for an arcade
They rented their machines from a third party, who came and counted the money the machines took in. Apparently it was very apparent that the machines likely owned by the mob, and were just a front for laundering money. There's really no proof that a machine took in any certain amount. They can just make up some $ amount, and they now have a legit source of income for that drug money or whatever.

[jfrost]

We need more money-laundering arcades.

[AppleQueso]

My dad used to do accounting for an arcade
They rented their machines from a third party, who came and counted the money the machines took in. Apparently it was very apparent that the machines likely owned by the mob, and were just a front for laundering money. There's really no proof that a machine took in any certain amount. They can just make up some $ amount, and they now have a legit source of income for that drug money or whatever.

I've heard that this was actually a really common thing in the 80s and early 90s.

[the7k]

Everyone is worrying about serving beer AND keeping the kids.

How does Chuck E Cheese do it? All they have in those places are noisy kids and their drunk parents. Oh, and that smell. That god awful smell.

[Flake]

Everyone is worrying about serving beer AND keeping the kids.

How does Chuck E Cheese do it? All they have in those places are noisy kids and their drunk parents. Oh, and that smell. That god awful smell.

I heard from a friend (who worked there, bless their successful life) that they stopped serving beer a while back. Which is good because I would otherwise have spent my 21st birthday there looking to get shitty and ruin someones 11th birthday.

Do you guys think that an arcade would benefit from having semi-regularly scheduled showings by video game cover bands? Or would that do nothing to bring people (and their money) back?

[the7k]

I heard from a friend (who worked there, bless their successful life) that they stopped serving beer a while back. Which is good because I would otherwise have spent my 21st birthday there looking to get shitty and ruin someones 11th birthday.

Do you guys think that an arcade would benefit from having semi-regularly scheduled showings by video game cover bands? Or would that do nothing to bring people (and their money) back?

I'm pretty sure the Chuck E Cheese where I live still has a bar. It's been a while since I went (I only went for the KOFXI machine, and once they took it out, nevermind), I guess I should check.

Anyway, doing live bands seems like a great idea. A restaurant in my area does it and it always draws in a huge crowd.

[Rurouni_Fencer]

I would otherwise have spent my 21st birthday there looking to get shitty and ruin someones 11th birthday.

Somehow I can see Zach Galifianakis playing this scene out in a future Will Ferrell movie..

[lisalover1]

Am I the only one who is noticing that all the ideas in this thread are just making the arcade into an excuse to drink?