Continuing on my quest to open an arcade – tomorrow could be it

If you read this site regularly then you know that I am trying to open my own arcade. You know that I have been trying to get into a strip mall owned by Sears and that they have been dragging their feet since I submitted a letter of intent way back in November. And you know that they have been stringing me along, making promises that never were kept. Well I’ve moved on from Sears as I have found a different location and one that I most likely will be entering into tomorrow, assuming everything goes well. Of course so far working with the landlords/management of the new location has been a million times faster than Sears so that is a plus.

The new location is at a local mall which has begun a redevelopment project to modernize the building and add even more businesses to the area. A Costco already opened up directly to the south of the mall and the two share a parking lot; businesses like the Olive Garden, T.G.I.Fridays and Jamba Juice will be moving with the new development and the location is has an outside entrance and is right next to a Red Robin restaurant. The outside entrance is a big plus – because of it I get more flexibility in hours than other businesses at the mall. I can stay open later than the 9PM closing time for the rest of the building. It’s also only $2450/month which isn’t too bad for a space that’s 1856 sq. ft. which also includes a bathroom and even a tiny kitchen (which will make a decent break room I suppose). It also has three closets right next to each other – which I don’t need so I’ll see about removing two of them so I can use that space for games. The spot is location B162 in the graphic there, which of course doesn’t reveal much at the moment.

If I get the keys tomorrow I will go along with my camera and get some pics or video for the site where I will then begin documenting the process so you can see it transform from the empty space that it is into an arcade. It should be fun – the only problem will then be getting a business license and then attracting people to come and play. Stay tuned…

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