After several delays while we worked out issues with the City, all has finally been resolved.

Please join us for the Grand Opening of the Chicago Street Pinball Arcade in Downtown Joliet this weekend!
215 N. Chicago Street
Joliet, IL 60432

We are actually opening tonight (Thursday, July 17) due to a couple events happening in Downtown Joliet:
Cruise Night on Route 66/Chicago Street
LIVE is playing at MoJoe's around the corner

Opening Weekend hours:
Thursday, July 17, 7 PM - midnight
Friday, July 18, 7 PM - midnight
Saturday, July 19, 9 PM - 2 AM (later hours due to private party rental)

To start with, we'll have at least 20 pins up and and running. The complete list is here:
http://pinballmap.com/chicago/?by_location_id=4724

We also have a few vids and an EM driving game.

Eventually, we hope to have drinks and such, but for right now, it's only games.

We're running a promotional admission for the time being:
$5 for one hour
$10 for all day

All games are on free play with admission.

We have a website:
http://www.jolietpinball.com

A phone number:
(779) 279-8799

An email address:
[email protected]

and have just recently created an account on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/JolietPinball

I suppose f'book will be next, heh.

Our goal is to bring back pinball to the public, so very few of the machines we own are anything close to "collector quality." However, we aim to keep them clean and working the way they should.

Thanks!

-Mark

Bahaha...come on now, toyotaboy is coming all the way from Huntley on Saturday, and bringing 15-20 people with him!

-Mark

Thanx!

It'll be waiting for you...I actually have two Grand Prixs...one of them is the EM driving game. Now all I need to do is find the Stern version...or maybe not.

-Mark

Thanks, guys!

I will definitely be there in person this weekend, but probably not tonight.

As you can see from my location, my day job isn't exactly around the corner from Joliet, and I have stuff I still need to do around here tonight and tomorrow morning, unfortunately. That and the fact I just got back from California Extreme on Tuesday night. Otherwise, I would have taken tomorrow off and driven up tonight.

We couldn't pass up the chance of opening tonight, with two sort of major events going on downtown, on our street or around the corner.

-Mark

We will be open on Fridays and Saturdays, 7 PM until midnight for now.

We will also be extending the Grand Opening special rate of $5/hour or $10/day for the time being.

I haven't thought of a family rate yet, but kids under 10 are half-price, if that helps.

I'm still trying to feel things out for pricing and hours, and am open to suggestions.

If you have a large family, we can work something out, I'm sure.

Thanks,

-Mark

Thanks, Joe! Glad you and everyone had a great time!

That's funny, but I suppose I am a veteran router by now.

I have several people to thank for answering my onslaught of operating questions well before I started a route:
Jeri Ellsworth, Queen of Pinball - Jeri was operating a successful route of 50 pins in Portland when we first met several years back, and was the inspiration for me to consider doing the same.
LTG - 'nuff said
Dan St. John, Main St. Amusements - Dan operates the largest pinball arcade in Indiana, in Lafayette. I talked his ear off on several occasions.
TJ Beyer - TJ is the largest pinball operator in Oakland, and works for an op as well.

I operate System 11's to brand new Sterns on location. Many of the late 80's System 11 pins were brought to Joliet "fresh" off location in Champaign with heavy use, so they do need a good cleaning and such. Priorities...

Since I don't live in town, I am fortunate to have an assistant who can open for me on Fridays, and who is competent working on pins. Yes, keeping 20+ pins clean and running well in your basement is hard, and much more difficult in the "real world." I'm no Tim Arnold, or some other one person operation like Dan at Main Street Amusements, but I can always strive to be.

I am hoping to get the boards back soon for the few pins that were totally down, and add another new Stern and a few more classic vids in the near future. A couple more EM's and a pitch & bat would be great as well. That will bring us to almost 30 pins, and several classic vids. And then we'll be out of space in the current location, heh.

-Mark

Just curious...do you mean the barcades like Emporium, Headquarters, and Logan Hardware? If we eventually get to be a barcade, we will probably open at 3 or 4.

As of now, we don't serve any food or drink, and my assistant can't get there until 7 on Fridays. We could definitely open sooner on Saturdays, though. I made the hours based on Main Street Amusements, since they are the only comparable type of place I know. Dan has since hired help and is now opening at 5 on Saturdays.

Thanks,

-Mark

Thanks.

I don't think I have enough budget at the moment to pay someone (other than myself) for several extra hours, unless we closed earlier. The current state of downtown Joliet has foot traffic starting around 7 for shows at MoJoe's and the Rialto, where I hope to catch people before and after shows. During the week, there is county and state government office traffic, and that ends at 4 or 5. On weekends, downtown is dead in the morning and afternoon...unless we can help change that.

There are two brand new bars/restaurants opening next door and across the street by November, so we are hearing. Once that happens, for sure we'll have to be open earlier.

Maybe I should put out a poll here, although Pinside is an extremely limited demographic. If people want to come on Saturday afternoon that can't during the week, by all means we'll be open earlier.

-Mark

Bahaha...not all places can be as cool as Brixie's!

Hope you can visit soon. If it helps, I'm occasionally around on a weekday, like I was tonight. (I'm a minor league baseball junkie, and have season tickets to the Joliet Slammers at Silver Cross Field, three blocks away.)

-Mark

Yep.

Street parking meters are free after 5 PM Monday-Friday, after 1 PM on Saturday, and all day Sundays and holidays. Otherwise, rates vary between $0.50 and $1.00 per hour, depending on proximity to the city center.

The City of Joliet operates two parking garages downtown, the closest one is a half-block away on Cass Street, between Chicago and Scott. (Entrances on both Cass Street and Scott Street.) It is free after 7 PM Monday-Friday, and free all day on weekends/holidays. Otherwise, $0.50/hour.

I have never parked in the Harrah's garage, also on Cass Street, but I suppose you could do that as well.

-Mark

We are in the process of applying for a limited food and drink service permit...liquor license hopefully after that. You guys want to sign a petition for obtaining a liquor license?

Yes, planning out tournaments and other get togethers is on my list..are you volunteering to organize one for Pinside?

Downtown Chicago is 40 miles away, and the barcades are even farther, so I figured this would be a good location to congregate if you live in Joliet or the far southwest suburbs or elsewhere in Will County.

-Mark

We're open tonight and tomorrow night from 7 until midnight.

The Grand Opening promotional pricing has been extended:
$5 - one hour
$10 - all night

If anyone's interested in coming earlier on Saturday, or is interested in organizing a Pinside meet, please let me know!

Thanks,

-Mark

Based on your input and our observations, we have changed our hours. We are now open 5-11 PM, Fridays and Saturdays.

Also, we'll be open all day tomorrow starting at 10 AM for Kidzfest!
https://www.facebook.com/events/560224980752616/

Between 10 AM and 3 PM, we're having a super special:
All day, all you can play wristbands are just $5!

We're open until 11 PM.

See you then!

-Mark

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