Are retro arcades a fad or will they stick around? I am considering

>>3301268
One opened up near me a couple years ago, free games, expensive gimmicky named drinks. They recently bought out two businesses next to them and expanded, adding a couple paid games like a ddr machine and air hockey. Think they're doing okay

>>3301268
There is where I live, it has 3 machines with 591 games. It's located in the city center of my country's 4th most populous city and I'd say it's doing reasonably well. I blew about €70 there this year so far. Just keep out troublemakers and don't make ti seem too dark.

The one in my town has survived a few years and seems to be doing okay, but it is a retroBAR as in adults go to drink, so get a license to sell alcohol, the games are just the icing on the top to those bigger profits hocking drinks especially to girls who mostly go just to watch their boyfriends play.

Also find someone who knows how to work on the games and is reliable, the tough part is finding someone who can still work on those old machines.

Finally, another reason the one in my town has been a success is it has a whole 80s vibes so it has a projector with 80s movies playing and will do DJ events with old-school music, really make it an entertainment hub and not "just" an arcade.

>>3301268
There have been 2 in Minneapolis that tried and failed. Where will the money come from? You overpay for old games and no one is going to want to pay more than .50 a game.

Just doesn't seem like it's worth it.

>>3301268

You'd really have to be in a niche area for this to work. You'd probably have better luck if you hybridized modern games in too.

>>3301398

But did either of these two sell booze?

That would be awesome to have a retro arcade.
Ah, memories (Time to go put on "Pacman Fever" on YouTube").

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-MONIvP6kI

>>3301437

There’s one or two in MSP that are part of a chain called “Up/Down” that do sell booze and are really successful— they’re expanding and just announced another bar opening in Milwaukee. Each play costs .25 for each game, it’s really affordable, and they just kind of dish out tokens when you get drinks and at random.

>>3301398

Up/Down is in MSP and is very successful, they’re expanding even.

>>3301333

> the tough part is finding someone who can still work on those old machines.

Expanding on this (I salvage old computer parts as a hobby) CRT's are no longer manufactured. If the tube in your arcade machine burns out you'll pay a premium to get a "new" one. Old Trinitron era large CRT's are in high demand because of this, and they sell for stupid prices. Just have a look at Ebay.

>>3301504

The one we have here in Tulsa is called Max Retropub, has a nice neon sign and a giant wall painting of Max Headroom. All the games are from the 80s/90s, it stays busy but again problem is the games are always out of order hence why I suggest if the OP opens one, get a guy who can actually keep them maintained.

>>3301268
reported
this is cryptocurrency board

>>3301542
nice just reported 100k

Can you just build a bunch of MAME Cabinets with LCDs or is that illegal?

>>3301583

Not illegal but copyright infringement, you may not get in trouble with most of the arcade companies that went out of business but the big boys like Namco or Capcom are still around and would love to make some money suing your ass.