The first week of January has been busy! I’m going to be moving my arcade again to a larger space within the mall so that may mean that my availability for posts this month will be limited. Until then, here are some new locations that have opened up to be on the look out for. We have quite the international flare for today’s post:
Kongs Cardiff Now Open In Cardiff, UK
Back in November we mentioned a new bar/arcade that would be opening their doors soon and on December 16th, they did. Kongs Cardiff has a classic game selection including 1942, Donkey Kong, Double Dragon, Mortal Kombat, OutRun, Street Fighter II, Track & Field and more. You can check them out on Facebook (be warned though, the page might make you hungry 😛 )
NetherWorld Arcade Now Open In Brisbane, AUS
(Thanks to TJ Beyer for the tip)
Back in October we mentioned that a new bar/arcade would be opening in Brisbane, Australia. As often happens with new small businesses, things like licensing take a while to resolve. For Netherworld, the delays are gone as the location will finally be opening their doors today (Saturday). The location will host 40 classic games on the floor along with dining and drinking. More details can be found here; their main website still lacks content. Here is a fun little teaser they put together to promote the opening:
Round1USA Opens A New Location At The Southwest Plaza in Lakewood, CO
I had erroneously placed on our Year-In-Review video that this location had opened last year. My bad on that. According to this tweet, the grand opening happened yesterday. That means gamers near Denver will be able to enjoy all of the modern game selection that Round 1 USA brings to the table
We are open for business at Southwest Plaza mall today with our opening day hours from 4PM to 11PM! More Info: https://t.co/aXGkZX1bhe pic.twitter.com/KQSrLqWWmc
— Round1 USA (@Round1USA) January 6, 2017
Cineplex Announces Two More Locations For The Rec Room In Canada
I received a press release this week from Canadian distributor and operator Cineplex about their expansion of their “The Rec Room” venue brand. Since they included a press release I am putting this at the bottom of the post. One location is for Edmonton, AB and will open this year while the other in London, ON won’t be open until 2018:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cineplex Announces Two Additional Locations of The Rec Room
Canada’s Newest Premier Social Destination Opening New London Location, Second in Edmonton
TORONTO, ON, (TSX: CGX), January 5, 2017 – Cineplex today announced plans to open new locations of The Rec Room in Edmonton, Alberta, and London, Ontario. Canada’s newest hot-spot for ‘Eats and Entertainment,’ The Rec Room brings together incredible dining experiences with exciting live entertainment and amusement gaming experiences, all under one roof. The two locations announced today will open in Edmonton’s iconic West Edmonton Mall in 2017 and London’s CF Masonville Place in 2018.
“We’ve already announced plans to open locations of The Rec Room in Toronto and Calgary, and we’re excited to officially add London to that list,” said Ellis Jacob, President and CEO at Cineplex. “The launch of The Rec Room at South Edmonton Common has truly surpassed our expectations and we love the idea that with our West Edmonton Mall location we’ll have a strong foothold in the Edmonton community.”
West Edmonton Mall
Located at 8882 170 Street. NW, construction on the over 50,000 square foot West Edmonton Mall location has already begun. West Edmonton Mall attracts over 30 million guests a year and the new location, which is scheduled to open in summer 2017, is sure to become one of the province’s foremost entertainment destinations.
“On behalf of all of us at West Edmonton Mall, I would like to extend a warm welcome to The Rec Room,” said David Ghermezian, CEO, West Edmonton Mall. “With so much to offer both our local guests and tourists, The Rec Room will be right at home at the most comprehensive retail, hospitality and entertainment complex in the world. It’s another great reason for people to shop, play and stay at West Edmonton Mall.”
CF Masonville Place
Located at 1680 Richmond Street in London, Ontario, The Rec Room CF Masonville Place will occupy approximately 36,000 square feet within the shopping centre. Part of Cadillac Fairview’s multimillion dollar expansion and redevelopment project, construction on the new location will begin next year in preparation for a 2018 grand opening.
“We’re excited to welcome Canada’s newest premier social destination to CF Masonville Place, London’s leading shopping centre,” said Finley McEwen, Senior Vice President, Development, Cadillac Fairview. “We are committed to providing unique experiences for our customers and we believe that The Rec Room is a gathering place that will appeal to local residents and visitors alike, offering a place to have fun, share a toast, and enjoy delicious food. I have no doubt it will be an entertainment hot spot in the city.”
Cineplex plans to open between 10-15 new locations of The Rec Room over the coming years, each ranging in size from 30,000-60,000 square feet and customized to the individual community. The massive, often two-storey entertainment complexes will see half of the space being devoted to dining and live entertainment and the other half being devoted to amusement games and feature attractions. Leveraging Cineplex’s expertise in entertainment, operations, amusement gaming, food service, content creation and digital media, the newly announced locations at West Edmonton Mall and CF Masonville Place will feature:
- The best in wood-fired, Canadian-inspired cuisine available in The Rec Room’s upscale casual dining restaurant as well as ‘eatertainment-style’ dining in the games area
- A bar area where sports fans can grab a drink and catch the game on huge HD screens
- A massive attractions area where guests can play over 100 amusement games. Credits earned are tracked on RFID wristbands and can be redeemed at a redemption store for a variety of prizes
- Classic favourites like air hockey, pool and ping pong as well as large feature attractions
- A performance space that’s ideal for hosting live entertainment such as musical and comedy acts
- Multiple private dining rooms that will make The Rec Room the ultimate gathering spot for celebrations, corporate events and parties
