BUSINESS

from The Chandler Arizonian - 12.12.2021

OPINION

His arcade business evolved from YouTube tutorials

Entrepreneur Will Leinart made a reputation with YouTube tutorials showing how people can get prizes on claw machines in arcades.

(Special to the Arizonan)

BY GABRIELLA BURTON

Arizonan Contributor

Former YouTuber Will Leinart, owner of the arcade company Joystick, now counts Chandler Fashion Center among his multiple locations of self-monitored machines throughout Arizona.

Leinart began YouTubing in 2011 with an unusual angle: throughout the years, he provided tutorials on claw machines that showed people how to get prizes.

Forming an LLC called Claw Master, the Tempe resident racked up a million subscribers in the process.

“It really helped grow my character, my YouTube helped me fund my career,” Leinart said. His first company was called Zap, which he bought in 2014. For a few years he kept the name until he realized that the brand had developed a bad reputation and feared it might follow his career. Enter Joystick.

“When I rebranded in 2018, I started over and then my YouTube started doing better,” Leinart explained. “Then everything worked off each other.”

Now, with 10 years in the arcade industry, Leinart feels that he has gained a lot of experience. And because he is not a large arcade company, he doesn’t have much competition because most other arcade businesses are either far smaller or much bigger than Joystick.

That advantage made it easier for him to navigate through the challenges of the pandemic, Leinart said.

Joystick’s only obstacle throughout the pandemic occurred when malls were closed and therefore could not access his arcades.

And when malls reopened, he said, he recovered more quickly than other family entertainment centers.

But that doesn’t mean Leinart has avoided all the economic woes associated with the pandemic.

Like many other businesses

seeJOYSTICK page 31

North Chandler Place ranked high in Arizona

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Arizonan Staff Writer

With so much green space on North Chandler Place’s conveniently located continuum of care senior living community, it really stands out from its competitors.

Located at 2555 N. Price Road in Chandler, the community offers apartment homes for adults 55 and older; assisted living; memory care and five-star-rated nursing care and rehabilitation.

The independent living residences are separate from the rest of the campus. Apartments range in size from 647 to 1,330 square feet and rent starts at $2,100 per month — a great deal considering that rent includes two meals each day, complimentary use of washers and dryers, basic cable, an emergency call system, and activities. Kathleen Fanning, community relations director, says the campus had a recordNorth Chandler Place provides a continuum of care with many amenities. (Special to the Arizonan) breaking summer with move-in activity. “It is wonderful that prospective residents chose us because of the amazing sense of community we have cultivated here at North Chandler Place” Fanning says. “I would encourage anyone interested in making a move to act now so that they can take advantage of, and lock-in, our low 2021 rates.”

There is a variety of apartment styles for rent. The largest apartment is 1,330 square feet, which Fanning called “huge.”

“That is a big deal here,” she says. “We’re probably the only place where you can get something that big that isn’t twice our price.”

Fanning encourages all potential residents to shop around and compare and added, “Our campus also offers personal care services with our staff located onsite – a really unique amenity.”

Other accommodations include assisted living and memory care. Complete with a 24-hour certified care staff, assisted living begins at $1,800 plus care, which is personalized to meet the distinct seePLACE page 31

large and small, he has had trouble finding workers. He was elated when he recently found Zachary Mott to take on the role of fixing machines and checking security cameras.

“Working for Will is a great experience,” Mott said. “I’ve known him for a while because we met through an arcade enthusiasts’ group but working for him is usually a lot more fun than it is stressful. I also appreciate the flexibility of the job because there doesn’t need to be a person manning every store. We just watch the cameras.” Leinart said he just always had a passion for arcades.

“It’s kind of funny because I did like it. I didn’t know I was going to own one, but I knew I enjoyed it. I posted my first video a decade ago which was like, literally almost half my life ago,” Leinart said.

He said he wants to continue creating new experiences for families that enjoy his arcades, and said profit is not as important to him as creating more joy for customers.

It seems to work for fans.

“Some of the games I have played in the arcade are ones I have never seen before. They have the best arcade games,” said Mark Stempel, a Joystick patron at the Chandler mall.

As arcade games begin to move with technology and innovate, Leinart said he might consider getting into the virtual reality industry or expanding into another state. Until then he plans on continuing to do what he loves, opening more arcades.

“I didn’t know I’d be making money because it started from my hobby. I think that’s how everything should start. Like, don’t think about the money so it will come later,” Leinart said.

Information: joystickarcades.com ■

HAVE BUSINESS NEWS?

SEND YOUR BUSINESS NEWS TO PMARYNIAK@TIMESPUBLICATIONS.COM

needs of every individual.

Residents enjoy life-enriching activities and outings, three meals and snacks each day, and a visit by a licensed nurse on staff.

The memory care suites offer all-inclusive rates starting at $4,200 each month. Residents and their family members appreciate a plethora of amenities that include personalized care plans, weekly laundry, housekeeping, transportation, activities, and emergency assistance.

The North Chandler independent living boasts five floor plans, while assisted living offers three. Memory care has two floor plans. “Four out of the five floor plans come with two bathrooms,” Fanning says. “It gives people a guest bathroom, or the spouse a bathroom to themselves. When you compare the square footage and amenities, our price point is outstanding — for the most part, we’re much less expensive than the competitors in our area.”

There is also a skilled nursing and rehabilitation health care center on the North Chandler Place campus. The health care center is ranked among the highest in the state having earned five stars for quality care (visit medicare.gov to learn more). This small health care facility can accommodate rehab-to-home stays, as well as extended care and hospice services.

“North Chandler Place is a mature, established community with a distinct separation of living spaces and care models,” Fanning says.

She continued that the campus of care is different from many “big-box” retirement communities. “You will not find the glitz and glamour of the newer developments here, but you will find a warm and welcoming feel and the friendliest neighbors around.”

North Chandler Place goes above and beyond to make its residents happy. It offers “all the basics” from bingo to board games to outings to Sedona and Tucson, Fanning says. Guest speakers are featured, and crafts include weaving mats for the homeless. “The most unique feature of our campus is the wonderful residents who call North Chandler home.” ■

North Chandler Place:

A Continuum of Care Senior Living Community 2555 N. Price Road, Chandler 480-345-7171, northchandlerplace.com

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | DECEMBER 12, 2021

Bap and Chicken picks Chandler to start expansion

BY CAMPBELL WILMOT

Contributor

Bap and Chicken, a Minnesotabased eatery that focuses on fresh Korean cuisine, has brought its flavorful menu to Chandler.

It picked the former Habit Burger Grill location at 940 N. 54th Street in west Chandler to open its second restaurant in the country and its first in Arizona. “Bap” means rice in Korean and the restaurant’s menu includes dishes such as “bibimbap,” a combination of various ingredients with rice. Build-Your-OwnBap bowls, Korean fried chicken in a tempura style batter, and “Kidz Baps” are also included on the menu.

The Chandler location also sponsors “k-DOGG Night” on Thursdays 4-9 p.m., when diners can enjoy the restaurant’s Korean cheese and beef corn dogs.

Bap and Chicken’s founder and owner John Gleason was adopted from Korea as an infant and raised in Minnesota. Gleason opened his first Bap and Chicken in Saint Paul in 2019 and he started running a food truck in 2020.

The owner then decided to open a Bap and Chicken location in Arizona, as he said it was time to keep pushing forward

Right: Bap and Chicken’s menu includes Korean fried chicken (twice fried in tempura-style batter), build-your-own bap (rice bowls), sandwiches, and fish-shaped ice cream sandwiches. Left: Owner John Gleason and General Manager Jennifer Thao Habe opened Bap and

Chicken in Chandler. (Special to the Arizonan)

Frustrated by your big bank?

You’re always more than a number here.

976 W Chandler Blvd • Chandler 480-855-6287 • WESTERNBANKS.COM

with brick-and-mortar stores.

“When I was looking outside of Minnesota, I was looking at what cities would be good for Bap and Chicken to move into. Obviously, the greater Phoenix market is growing; it’s huge and it’s very diverse. And then Chandler you know, it just happenstance, I looked at probably 20 locations and this location in Chandler was the best fit,” Gleason said.

The Bap and Chicken Chandler location also offers a karaoke room and a “Bapmobile” food truck for catering corporate events as well as private celebrations.

“It’s the whole package really. It’s not just about the food anymore. It’s not just about the service. It’s not just about the music or the atmosphere. It’s everything that’s put together and so I really feel that it’s Bap and Chicken as a whole. Anyone can come and enjoy themselves,” Gleason said.

Bap and Chicken diner, Janee Garcia, said her family had noticed the new restaurant in the area and decided to check it out.

“I ordered the six drummies and the bibimbap. I thought it was great, the chicken is perfectly cooked, it’s got super crispy skin. The portion sizes are huge. I wasn’t expecting drumsticks that big, so I felt like it was a good value,” said Garcia.

“There’s a lot of seating outside which I like and it’s really clean and I loved that they do karaoke and stuff,” she added. “They have their adoption wall and I think that’s a really cool way to recognize adopted people in the community.”

Gleason said that he created the “Bap and Chicken” concept based off of his culture and his background.

“Bap and Chicken is a symbol of who I am. Bap means rice in Korean and we serve the bibimbap, which is the traditional Korean rice bowl, and then chicken for Korean fried chicken. And I’m adopted, so it’s kind of a little bit of my heritage of being Korean but also American,” Gleason said.

Gleason said even though people have returned to dining out, he doesn’t expect overnight success.

“The market right now is pretty tough still. Things have really changed in the last few years for not just restaurants but employment all across the board. And so, you know, one of the main reasons I wanted to start a restaurant was to provide a great place for people. Those first people that I want to provide a great place for are the employees or the team members and then, in turn, they will provide a great experience for the gap, because I can’t do it alone,” said Gleason.

Gleason plans to eventually open more locations and said that Bap and Chicken will continue to adjust as it grows.

“We’re happy to be open and happy to serve the community,” he said. “And that’s what I want, is to not just to be a restaurant in Chandler, but also to be a strong civic minded community member.”

Information: bapandchicken-chandler. square.site.

THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | DECEMBER 12, 2021

33 BUSINESS

If in�lation continues to accelerate for years

BY HAROLD WONG

Guest Writer

Recent news reports say that inflation is a serious concern to most Americans. What if inflation continues to accelerate for years? The effects of inflation fall hardest on those with lower incomes and lower assets and the retired on fixed incomes.

It’s projected that the Social Security Administration will boost benefits 5.9 percent in 2022, which would be the biggest increase since 1982. For a single person who received a $1,565 monthly check this year, it would raise $92 to an average $1,657 monthly check in 2022.

In 2019, the median US family household income was $68,703 and $67,521 in 2020. In 2019, about 30.7 percent of households earned over $100,000 in 2020.

If a family spends $75,000/year (after paying all income taxes) and future inflation is 6 percent per year, the family will need $150,915 in 12 years and $303,670 in 25 years. It’s even worse for many baby boomers and Generation Xers, who have most of their savings in IRAs or 401ks.

Example: a couple is spending $75,000 the first year they retire at 66. Their steady income from Social Security is $50,000 and so they need to draw $25,000 from their IRAs or 401ks. However, any withdrawal is taxed. Suppose it’s only a 20 percent combined tax rate between federal and state income tax They would have to withdraw $31,250, pay $6,250 in taxes, in order to net the other $25,000 needed.

In 12 years when they are age 78, inflation requires $150,915 to buy what $75,000 buys today. If Social Security is now $70,000 (with 12 years of costof-living increases), they need to pull $107,887 from their IRAs and 401ks; pay a 25 percent rate of tax ($26,972); and net the additional $80,915 needed to be able to have $150,915 of total income to equal total spending.

Even if they have $1 million saved, with most of it in IRAs and 401ks, it won’t last more than about 10 years before all their savings are gone. How to protect yourself if high inflation continues for years? Gold hasn’t been a perfect inflation hedge over the last one-20 years. The price of gold on Nov. 17 was $1,862.66 per troy ounce. The 10-year high was $2,067.16 and the 10-year low was $1,049.41. The total increase was only a $120.16 increase over 10 years, which is 6.90 percent increase.

Then there’s real estate. Over the last few years, Phoenix has either led the nation in year-over-year price appreciation or has been one of the highest markets, along with San Diego, Seattle and Austin.

According to Zillow, annual appreciation was the second-fastest in August 2021 in Phoenix (about 31.8 percent). Only Austin, Texas, with 44.8 percent, beat Phoenix. The annual rental growth in Phoenix was 24.8 percent.

Typical property values in PhoenixMesa-Scottsdale Metro grew by over 31.9 percent from August 2020 to August 2021, compared to only 10.5 percent the previous year and 5.3 percent from August 2018 to August 2019.

In September, 2021, the typical Phoenix home was worth $376,684 vs. $109,000 in October, 2011. That’s a compound average growth rate of 13.2 percent. An additional benefit is “depreciating debt” – the fact that your mortgage payment is fixed but the same payment is worth less to the lender in the future due to inflation.

Free live seminar and lunch: A seminar at 10 a.m. followed by lunch at 12:15 p.m. will be held Jan. 29 at Hyatt Place, 3535 W. Chandler Blvd. Chandler. Lunch will be catered by La Madeleine French Café. Topic is “Double your Social Security & other retirement income and pay less tax!”

To RSVP for the seminar or schedule a free consultation, contact Dr. Harold Wong at 480-706-0177 or harold_wong@hotmail.com. His website is drharoldwong.com.

Dr. Wong earned his Ph.D. in economics at University of California/Berkeley and has appeared on over 400 TV/radio programs.