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Thinking of opening an arcade...
Franco B:
Ah cool, your not far from me at all. I drove through Chesterfield last weekend on the way to Congleton to deliver a cab.
Turnarcades:
--- Quote from: Silas (son of Silas) on November 20, 2009, 04:08:01 am ---
--- Quote from: Turnarcades on November 17, 2009, 06:53:43 pm ---It's in this format I'm currently in talks about to create an entertainment centre/gaming museum/party venue here in the UK.
--- End quote ---
*Silas ---punks--- up his ears with interest and hopes this would be in the Midlands.....
--- End quote ---
Well you're not going to believe your luck if this goes ahead, but right now I'm looking for investment. I'm from Wolverhampton (now live on the border of Wolves/Walsall) and basically I'm looking to create an arcade museum, entertainment centre and party venue that is essentially going to be a huge bachelor pad. It will be a 'pay on entry' venue at weekends where all pool tables, arcade machines etc. will be set on free play, but will almost exclusively be a venue to be rented out for corporate events, stag/hen parties, but I would also like to host expo type shows on a smaller scale centred around video gaming, both modern and retro. I won't go into detail about the exact layout and included features, but the good news is that I am looking to open it in the Midlands so it is both local to me and equally accessible from all corners of the country.
Dunno when this will go ahead exactly, but I'm talking with a few investors and still revising my business plan to decide if it's worth doing. To be fair, I'm only looking for marginal profit as I do with Turnarcades at the moment, as I have the luxury of no longer being the primary earner in my household since I fell ill a few years back. This would be a working hobby and hopefully I can get a lot of family to get in on it to reduce overheads.
ChadTower:
It was asked above who would go to an arcade, with whom, and why...
There is an arcade museum/private beach 45 minutes south of me. I take my kids there a couple of times a year and would more often if the beach part didn't make it a full day trip.
Funspot is 4-5 hours north of me. I take my kids there a couple of times a year and we spend several hours. If it were half the distance we would go every couple of weeks. If it were inside an hour I'd probably have to open a monthly payment plan to them.
There is also a great traditional arcade about an hour north of me at Salem Willows Park. Good pin lineup. Not too many classics, though, and we never have more than a half hour when we make it there because we're always in the area to visit my wife's family.
Gatsu:
I also once thought about opening up an arcade...especially since all the arcades in my area closed. But after contacting the owners of the establishments and talking with them about the businesses....it seemed smarter to drop the idea. They all closed for a reason. Upkeep was too costly, newer games were ridiculous to buy and upgrade, and people started complaining about the cost per play.
So I would suggest the next best thing. Take the money you planned on starting the business with and build an arcade/bar/hangout spot for yourself and your friends. Just the games you want to play, and a small bar for drinks & snack stuff with some couches a juke box and maybe a pool table. Several guys here on the forum have done this and I'm sure they are happy they did it.
As soon as I can afford a house this will definitely be in my plans. Since I can't start a business.....I'll just start my own collection.
ark_ader:
You going to do all this in a recession, and with everyone around with consoles? :laugh2:
What is wrong with opening a 80's themed restaurant and bar with a small arcade in the back?
The fun is finding all the nostalgic paraphernalia that creates the environment.
Start small in a industrial area and work up. :applaud: