GAMES
Coin-Op SF is the place to play classic arcade cabinets and sip fancy cocktails.
REVENGE OF THE ARCADE The arcade scene is back, but not in the way you think. AMUSEMENT ARCADES WERE bustling social centers for kids and teenagers in the ‘80s and ‘90s. They were dingy, cave-like places, but for the kids, the arcade was heaven on earth, a place where they could escape the anxieties of school, forget about their parents, make mischief with their friends, and get lost in the hunt for the ever-elusive high score. Sadly, over the past couple of decades, arcades have played an ever-diminishing role in the gaming industry. But hope lies in those ‘80s and ‘90s kids who are now all grown up and aim to celebrate and preserve arcade culture and usher them into the future by pairing the experience with trendy food and craft beer. These former arcade-loving kids have grown-up to become business owners with fond memories, which has led to a string of food and alcoholpurveying arcades finding success in major cities like New York (Barcade), Chicago (Emporium Arcade Bar), and Los Angeles (Button Mash). Arcade bar Coin-Op, which has locations in San Diego, San Francisco, and Sacramento, 54 DEN OF GEEK
has become a go-to destination for patrons looking to sip on some craft cocktails, and play games with friends. “The original idea behind Coin-Op was to open a bar-restaurant concept with something of an entertainment aspect to it,” says Coin-Op CEO Mark Bolton. “We wanted to tie [arcades] into our new passion for cocktails and going out to bars and restaurants.” Cocktails and coin-ops are a match made in heaven. Dave & Buster’s has marketed this concoction to great success for years, boasting 117 locations across the country as of July 2018 and $332 million in revenue in Q1 2018, but there are still a few establishments out there that endeavor to preserve the purity of the family-friendly arcade experience. High Scores Arcade in Alameda, California is a family-owned and operated business opened by husband and wife team Shawn and Meg Livernoche in 2013 (their original New Jersey location closed in 2010) that aims to bring back warm memories of the traditional arcade. Unlike Coin-Op and other bar-cades, however, High Scores is an alcohol-free environment.
BY BERNARD BOO
“We really do want to promote the idea that anybody of any age can come in at any time, and also give adults the opportunity to have a place to come and have fun where alcohol is not the centerpiece,” Shawn says. “People who grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90s and now have families come in with their kids and want to show them the games that they grew up with, and it starts this cool generational thing, which is fun to watch,” Meg adds. While home consoles currently dominate the gaming sphere, the Livernoches don’t see the console and arcade markets as mutually exclusive. “Usually, the kids who play consoles at home also come in and appreciate our arcade,” Meg explains. “People who play Fortnite and League of Legends don’t necessarily translate that well to the arcade, but for the most part, kids pick our games up pretty quickly.” The overlap in demographics between arcade and home console gamers has been one of the key factors in High Scores’ winning formula. While some modern arcades, like YESTERcades (New Jersey) and
