I haven't been to the Pins Mechanical in Cincinnati, but I have been to the one at Easton in Columbus, and if that's any indication, I can certainly see why the machines are in disrepair. Huge place, tons of pins, and complete chaos with kids running everywhere. And I suspect the workers don't really care, they're just paid employees clocking in and clocking out.
Food and drinks plus kids with sticky hands pounding on the buttons(why do they do that anyways) can only result in an unpleasant experience for serious players.