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Pinball cafe / showroom ?

Ross Hamilton

Ross Hamilton

Registered
5Years
Joined
Mar 4, 2016
Messages
138
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At my desk
I own a nice shop, albeit quite run down, with a great ornamental frontage, in Alford, Lincolnshire - not far from Skegness and Mablethorpe. My tenant is moving out at the end of October, and I'm considering opening it as a pinball cafe. There's probably room for about 15 pinballs, a barista station and a half dozen coffee tables. My idea was to have a mix of my own machines and other peoples' ones that they wanted to sell, maybe on some kind of commission basis. I'm not worried if the business makes any money, because I'd also move my business into the back rooms and rent out my current location, which makes it financially fairly independent even if the coffee shop is very quiet.

Any thoughts/suggestions welcome!
 
Sounds like a fantastic idea particularly if you don't have the financial constraints.
 
1st thought. What would it cost to run a 90’s era B/W and/or modern-ish Stern at the ‘new predicted energy cap prices’? Few quid a day?
 
Id imagine the pins would be treated as a loss leader. You need someone able to at least deal with minor on site snaps e.g. stuck balls etc which means access to the game and ultimately the cash box. Shame its so far away as I'd love to do this.
We can have a league meet there, yay.
 
I’m not certain who your target market would really be.

Will people who want coffee really want to be surrounded by 15 pinballs and the associated noise?

Would you need to employ someone to serve the coffee or can you do this and work in the back room?

Ultimately, it all comes down to whether or not you want to do it. If you don’t need the cash then why not give it a whirl? What have you got to lose?
 
If I was considering this I would not be doing anything until early 2023.

Some electricity suppliers want mad deposits for new businesses.

See what happens in the next few months.

The next few months will be hellish!
 
johnwhitfield said:
I’m not certain who your target market would really be.

Will people who want coffee really want to be surrounded by 15 pinballs and the associated noise?

Would you need to employ someone to serve the coffee or can you do this and work in the back room?

Ultimately, it all comes down to whether or not you want to do it. If you don’t need the cash then why not give it a whirl? What have you got to lose?
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Works for Chief Coffee but the machines are in the basement with coffee shop above so you have a choice to hear/watch/play, also has a change machine down there.
Works well there as hipsterville area with plenty of dosh, my old manor and normally take my parents for a coffee there when I visit😂
 
So you’d be paying the pinball owner commission? And have them put games into a place that you aren’t sure of/not so fussed about the footfall?

there are operators who would do this usually 50/50 split but thats getting rare for all the reasons above.
 
Neil McRae said:
So you’d be paying the pinball owner commission? And have them put games into a place that you aren’t sure of/not so fussed about the footfall?
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I haven't really thought through the business dynamics but yes, some kind of commission I suppose. I could half fill the place with just my own machines already, so maybe I'll end up staying small and building the machine numbers up from just, if it supports that. It's really just an excuse to have a cool venue, rather than an income stream, my real business is fine for that already. I just fancied a bit more variety in my life...

I had in mind paying someone min wage to mind the coffee machines and/or get volunteers to do it with me as some kind of collective - there are a couple of retired guys I know who suggested they'd do it for free coffees and the chance to be in a pinball parlout again, like they did back in the 50s and 60s. I really don't know, that's why I put this posting up, to see what ideas came along!
 
I think theming is very important on this one. If you go for something like the Plonk Golf in Hackney (now closed down) where there’s crazy golf and a retro bar with a few shelves of board games, some arcade cabs and pins, and open late into the evening, then you can play some LPs and go for a retro/analogue vibe.

Obviously, if you’ve got doilies on tables, cream teas and everything is rather sedate and quiet, I think the noise of the pins will drive everyone mad.

Machine choice is also a consideration. So, for example, our pins are in a brightly-lit room, but we’ve (mostly) got pins that look good when well illuminated. You’ll have less success with, for example, Stranger Things Prem, which is designed to be played in the dark.
 
Monkeyboypaul said:
1st thought. What would it cost to run a 90’s era B/W and/or modern-ish Stern at the ‘new predicted energy cap prices’? Few quid a day?
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More to the point, I’ve read of numerous cases of coffee shops having to close due to the costs of those coffee machines to run. They eat leccy and have to be left on.
Just a thought.
Alan
 
If Truss doesn't get her finger out there only be spoons left selling coffee by the end of the year!
 
Ross Hamilton said:
Looks like this is going to be a goer... The tenant moves out at the end of this month. I'm trying to work out if we have enough time (and enthusiasm!) to get it up and running for a Christmas Cracker meet in December...
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Awesome news - can't wait!

@VeeMonroe FYI Plonk in Hackney isn't closed - they are definitely still open! I've been in conversation with them recently.
 
I've just spent a bit of time measuring up. I think I can comfortably fit about 12 pinballs in there with a coffee counter, and maybe five coffee tables for 4 people per table. Probably room for a couple of novelty items, maybe a couple of arcade cabs, tabletops...
Is that enough, what do people think?
 
I’ve got a Paragon TT quiz machine and that gets a lot of use when family come into the gamesroom, they crowd around it.
But I supply the pound coins so maybe that helps, has puzzle games too but you need to buy a dongle with credits. Costs about 4p a play to run.

Might be a problem though as quite a few pinheads are know it alls😂

Good luck with it, sounds great!
 
Ross Hamilton said:
I've just spent a bit of time measuring up. I think I can comfortably fit about 12 pinballs in there with a coffee counter, and maybe five coffee tables for 4 people per table. Probably room for a couple of novelty items, maybe a couple of arcade cabs, tabletops...
Is that enough, what do people think?
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I’d include an Ikea Kallax shelf of modern board games - you may be attracting the same crowd.

I’d include some easy-to-learn classics like King of Tokyo, Can’t Stop, Ticket to Ride, Pandemic (I think that’s a bit close-to-home and would suggest Marvel United as an alternative), Codenames, Animal upon Animal, For Sale.
 
VeeMonroe said:
I’d include an Ikea Kallax shelf of modern board games - you may be attracting the same crowd.

I’d include some easy-to-learn classics like King of Tokyo, Can’t Stop, Ticket to Ride, Pandemic (I think that’s a bit close-to-home and would suggest Marvel United as an alternative), Codenames, Animal upon Animal, For Sale.
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chuck a gloomhaven (or frosthaven) on there too, for something quick and easy 😁
But pinball and boardgames? sign me up! I'd be in heaven, you'd have to shove me out the door at closing time, kicking and screaming
 
VeeMonroe said:
Jaws of the Lion, surely?
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Well yes, If you're gonna be all sensible about it, hehe.

I meant it as a lame joke, adding something that's the very opposite of your sensible game suggestions for games that would be quick and easy for people to pick up for a casual game.
 
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