Missing pinball and space-invaders during COVID lockdown? This private rental arcade in New Westminster is perfect for you.
Kyle Seller, the founder of Industry Arcade, has spent countless hours during quarantine rebuilding his pop-up arcade business and transforming his warehouse into an arcade space available for private bookings.
“We rent the private space in two-hour time slots, and sessions are purchased in advance through our website,” said Seller in a statement.
The space is not open to the general public, and only invited guests in a group of 10 people max can attend at once.
Prices start at $200 for a two-hour slot.
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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. Prior to the pandemic, the business has expanded to offer pop-up services for parties, promotion events, and filming purposes. Furthermore, he has also transformed his pinball games into an exhibition at the Museum of Vancouver, which ran for three months in 2015.
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“Business was doing great until COVID-19 started,” Seller mentioned. Quarantine “caused many of our bar accounts to remove significant amounts of games to make room for tables, or other bars like Pub 340 closed down for good.”
With entertainment taking one of the largest hits on all industries, the pandemic was a devastating blow to business sales.
Left with a huge stockpile of beautiful machines in his industry warehouse, Seller decided to create something unique and pioneer the concept of private rental arcades.
Together with his wife, Seller “spent countless hours cleaning up our messy shop and turning it into a safe, COVID-friendly arcade intended for families or trusted bubbles. [They] fully sanitize before and after each session, and allow for one full hour before the next round of guests come in.”
While the new business has been slow, the games have started to pick up by raising money in charity donations.
Groups should plan to arrive at least 10 minutes before the rental slot to sign waivers. Guests will be asked general health questions prior to their rental time slot in adherence to COVID protocols.
Bookings can be made online.
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