POLL How much would you pay for unlimited play.

$20 is to much. I mean, it's good for guys like us who want to support a local arcade....or because we have a pure love the games.

But, you want to attract people as well who are just passing by, or may be coming with friends, etc (the far majority)...who will want to come back. The $20 price point will put a lot of people off in my opinion....especially when there's Xbox waiting at home. I really think $12-15 is where you are going to want to be living to hit all demographics.

My opinion. Regardless, I will be visiting when I'm in San Diego and look forward to it!

Exactly. You're going to get a skewed response here on KLOV. Wait till a dad comes by with his 2 kids and is asked to pay $60 to get in. The average Joe isn't going to do that and you will never, ever come close to surviving on KLOV foot traffic.

And once you've driven them away with too high of a price they'll never be back.

^^^ This and This.

I've realized that even though I love arcade games, I rarely play them while I'm out and about. There is a pretty nice arcade locally and I have yet to step foot in the place. :( Therefore, I'd have to agree with Wyo and demogo on the price point issue for passers by.
 
When at Funspot by myself $10 of tokens lasts as long as I feel like staying (3-5 hours) as long as I play only arcade games (no redemption stuff or coin pushers). I play at a modest pace.

That being said - there are pluses and minuses to the "all you can eat" model and I wonder if most of your clients want to be there an hour or six hours. Also, do you want people tying up a Simpsons or TMNT cab or feeding quarters into it?

Don't know enough about your business from the original post but I will say if it's just me - I think $7.50 is in your sweet spot recognizing that I'm not a person who can spend 6 hours in a place and I'd know when buying your unlimited admission I was only staying 2 hours or whatever. Maybe I'm not your main client though...
 
$20 is way too much. At that price, you'll get people who go once and never again.

Charge $9 and then have a "Monthly card" option for like $45.
 
When at Funspot by myself $10 of tokens lasts as long as I feel like staying (3-5 hours) as long as I play only arcade games (no redemption stuff or coin pushers). I play at a modest pace.

That being said - there are pluses and minuses to the "all you can eat" model and I wonder if most of your clients want to be there an hour or six hours. Also, do you want people tying up a Simpsons or TMNT cab or feeding quarters into it?

Don't know enough about your business from the original post but I will say if it's just me - I think $7.50 is in your sweet spot recognizing that I'm not a person who can spend 6 hours in a place and I'd know when buying your unlimited admission I was only staying 2 hours or whatever. Maybe I'm not your main client though...

It's a tight rope to have to walk. First things first is to check the local licensing regulations. I can only speak for Cleveland, OH because that's where I had my bar. Cleveland charges $60/yr per machine for the first 3 then $40/yr for any additional for the paper license only. There used to be a sticker required on top of that, but I think that's gone now. Now if I put the machines on free then it didn't matter, but if I charged a cover charge to walk in it would cost me $10 a year for the cover charge license and then I would have to pay Cleveland 8% of the cover charges I took in every month. That's why the decent arcades are out of the city. As for where the OP is talking I have no idea what the regulations are just some other considerations to think about. My friend and a fellow KLOVer I met while at Fort Hood started an arcade with a beer license I think and he sets his games for free to avoid the permits and charges a cover charge after a certain time. After a year when I stopped back to visit his place was packed.
 
Are you against quarters or tokens? Grinkers seems to work great on the quarter model.

Coin jams, changers, handling cash all add up to more hassle than I want to add to the mix. Also flat fee guarantees a minimum income per customer, of course hitting that 'magic number' is key and why I am getting input from various channels.

Zoning and licensing are something I'm paying a lot of attention to and will certainly dictate the location, if I can get them to balance with my other location requirements.

San Diego is typically an expensive place to live so prices for everything tend to be higher.

My current premium price target is $15 unlimited, but my 'wholesale net' is closer to $12 per person when using coupons, groupon, military discount etc. Still trying to decide on family-pack pricing. Not interested in monthly right now. Off-peak rates probably $10 for week nights.
 
One thing to consider: if you want $10 admission net -- charge $15 and include a $5 coupon for food/drink. Shows more value and forces people to your food service where they will spend more.

Local laws permitting.
 
StarFighters in AZ is $10 per person, and that seems very fair. Are you planning to be open every day? They are just weekends.
 
I charge $10 all day for 140-270 arcade and pinball machines per location. I have a one hour rate of $7. I also have a special on Tuesday and Wednesday at separate locations for $7 all day.
 
Here in Vegas we had Insert Coins fail. Dark, loud music & alcohol. Tried to be a Club. I hated it.

We also have Hi-Scores BarCade. Free arcades & pinball if food or drinks (alcohol) purchased.
Food is pretty good. Burgers, wings & other items. Drink menu has every drink named after something arcade related. Fun to read, wife liked it. Lots of tvs with sports on. Successful, they've opened a 2nd one here.

For what you're describing (no alcohol) I like an idea like offering $10 an hour or for $10 more you can play all night.
Tvs with sports on in sitting area...but what I think you'll need to be successful is food. Pizza, burgers & wings.

Im not an expert, just my opinion.
 
Here in Vegas we had Insert Coins fail. Dark, loud music & alcohol. Tried to be a Club. I hated it.

We also have Hi-Scores BarCade. Free arcades & pinball if food or drinks (alcohol) purchased.
Food is pretty good. Burgers, wings & other items. Drink menu has every drink named after something arcade related. Fun to read, wife liked it. Lots of tvs with sports on. Successful, they've opened a 2nd one here.

For what you're describing (no alcohol) I like an idea like offering $10 an hour or for $10 more you can play all night.
Tvs with sports on in sitting area...but what I think you'll need to be successful is food. Pizza, burgers & wings.

Im not an expert, just my opinion.
I went to insert coins not long after it opened when I was on vacation in Vegas. It wasn't very good at all...Selection of games wasn't good, bunch of LCD screen, and a handful of games weren't working.

The games looked more like the condition you'd see them at an auction or something. If I remember correctly it was all quarter play.


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My buddy opened a barcade (reboot retrocade, on fb macon, ga ) here downtown. He is doing great, all of his games are .25 cents for 1 credit (all games are 1 credit play, even pinballs).
-Brian
 
$15 and I wouldn't think twice.
I was at a place in Bend OR that had $10 for all day and $5 an hour. Seemed super cheap to me. They didn't have 50 games, but they did have a great 25 games that were all well maintained and working. They sold good beer and water very reasonably.
 
I think hourly play would be a PITA to track unless you used card readers that could track it.
 
$15 and I wouldn't think twice.
I was at a place in Bend OR that had $10 for all day and $5 an hour. Seemed super cheap to me. They didn't have 50 games, but they did have a great 25 games that were all well maintained and working. They sold good beer and water very reasonably.
Vector Volcano!! Brett is an awesome dude too.

Posted via TapaTalk
 
It's not that hard...A sticker or wristband with times on it that you can casually just check.

A lot of people just police themselves.

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Yes, and honestly this makes the most money. I am not a fan of quarters anymore.

It's not 1982. 25 cents then is not the same as 25 cents now. The games end up being a burden and maintenance nightmare at 25 cents. Coin jams, lights out, and for what? I can sit there on Galaga/Donkey Kong and who knows how many classics for hours on a quarter. It's not logical in the business sense anymore when $10 is guaranteed AND you have an investment to make up for. This whole thing with food, that becomes a restaurant. My place is for the games and about the games. I combine console games, vintage games, buy/sell/trade, and a large area for classic console and PS4 play (VR Goggles are a major hit). I serve snacks and sodas but I want NOTHING to take away from the games and unfortunately with a bar (and you see these places close all the time) they do well at first until they realize those thousands of dollars aren't being shown week after week in the coin buckets....bottom line is you need passion to do this. I've been open 8 a half years and I don't want it to be about trying to get an investment back. I want it to be about introducing kids and having a place for kids/adults/families/people in their 20s/30s/etc to go to and play without the gimmicks.
 
$15 and I wouldn't think twice.
I was at a place in Bend OR that had $10 for all day and $5 an hour. Seemed super cheap to me. They didn't have 50 games, but they did have a great 25 games that were all well maintained and working. They sold good beer and water very reasonably.

Thanks. We had 42 games for a while but down to 40 to give space for Super Off Road and NBA Jam.

A lot of freeplay arcades have a few games up front that take quarters. It's great for when someone just wants to play one game or two games. I have Ghostbusters Premium for $.50 and freeplay during happy hour.
 
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