"Challenging time": Beloved New Westminster arcade is closing its doors
New Westminster’s Industry Arcade has announced that it will be closing at the end of the year, though it’s not by choice.
The free play party rental arcade recently announced the “sad news” on social media, explaining that the lack of an important amendment made continuing operations at its current location impossible.
“Although both the city and building owners are on board for us to continue, we would need an ancillary use zoning amendment added to our license and this is the sticking point we can’t get around,” said Industry Arcade online. “We need to respect the decision the building ownership made around this, as there are lots of factors involved.
“This is a surprise to all of us, with little notice to prepare for.”
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Kyle Seller, the founder of Industry Arcade, spent countless hours in 2020 rebuilding his pop-up arcade business and transforming his warehouse into an arcade space available for private bookings.
Seller started his East Van Amusements business in 2013, where he created a pinball room in a now-closed bar named Pub 340 in Vancouver.
The arcade features dozens of arcade cabinets and games, including pinball, bubble hockey and skee ball. It is located in the Braid Industrial, just minutes from the Sapperton Skytrain Station.
Industry Arcade/Facebook
“Where does that leave us? We can either find a cool new space, or we can collaborate with a fitting business and work together on a 2.0 version,” Industry Arcade added.
“Thank you for reading through this, your support means a lot during this challenging time. As one door closes, maybe another opens.”
Industry Arcade/Facebook
Fans on Facebook thanked Industry Arcade for all the gaming sessions and wished them the best in their continued adventures.
“You’ve done a great thing with Industry and brought thousands of smiles to people’s faces. Be proud of that, Big K,” said Mike Wheels.
“This sucks, hopefully something can be sorted out. We need a good place to play pinball,” said Brian Menges.
Industry Arcade thanked their fans for all of their support.
“This whole venture has been a wonderful experience. From our hard-working, passionate staff, to all of you that have been to our space has made it so worth it. It’s been the most fulfilling and rewarding experience we’ve ever had seeing all the happiness, especially during some very dark times.”