I don't think there is any way to make an arcade a safe socially distant place. I love pinball, but I wouldn't let my children out to any area where they can pick up the virus - it's why our schools are closed. I think it's intellectually dishonest to think otherwise. As long as restaurants can't seat people, arcades need to stay shut. Until plans are in place to test, and cases show a good steady decline. I know that's hard. I want more pinball arcades, not less.

Maybe you have people make reservations, between which everything is wiped down? 20-30 min time slots where they are the only ones in the arcade. I don't know.

I think of it as America in WW2, where everyone had to sacrifice some for the good of the country. We're all in this together, none of this "but my freedoms" crap. All freedoms are in moderation to circumstances, which is why you don't have a free speech right to shout fire in a crowded theatre. I hope we get a handle on this by late summer.

Hi Pooky -

Maybe my words aren't the right ones. But i want the country to be smart, come back to a new normal as quickly as we can. I'm surprised you can be open, our state has everyone except essential services closed. The information we have, right now, is that COVID-19 is highly contagious, lingers in the air and on surfaces, doesn't show symptoms for a week after infection, and remains in the nasal passages for 21 days after getting sick. As I posted elsewhere, I know one friend who lost his mother to COVID-19, and another friend in fantastic shape laid low. It's great that you have let your customers know that you have taken steps. But encouraging people to congregate in the middle of a pandemic just doesn't seem like a good idea. In hard times, I've had to sell off most of my pinball collection. I would think arcades that are closed could do the same to float a couple months. But if your state isn't one of the responsible ones, maybe it wouldn't matter - there are bound to be more outbreaks in the area anyway.

Echoing what Gov. Cuomo said... there may be a risk admitting people coming from high-infection zones looking for escapism.

Should this be a concern? If so, what would the solution be? "Please present your DL. All zipcodes beyond 100 miles will not be admitted at this time."

Fun fun fun :/

Was the context within state lines or across state lines? Was there a mass exodus away from NYC? If there was going to be I would have imagines it already would have happened.

Can you legally check ID and turn those from out of the area away? What about college kids who are away from home (in state or out of state) and all sorts of other exceptions that might have to be accounted for.

At work if you have to go in, I don’t at this point typically, but I am “essential”, they are doing remote temperature scans. Wearing masks is mandatory in addition to the 6’ rule that has been in place for weeks. If you don’t have a mask, a disposable one is available in several locations. This mask rule does not replace the 6’ rule. Sounds like businesses that are looking to open are going to have to create this type of environment as well until it’s no longer needed.

also rules like that will = issues with sanctioning under IFPA rules.

Maybe not if these are government rules. I asked Josh on FB today I’d the IFPA has any thoughts about when to start sanctioning events again based on differences between plans of different states. He said they would make a post regarding timing and rules through the IFPA page and likely FB. Didn’t give a time estimate when this might happen, but it’s not exactly urgent at this point.

different states with rules like max people being differnt is one thing but banning out of state people or people based on where they live is differnt.

But does the IFPA really want to deal with papa like ticket buy rushes at small 8-50 people max events?.

As for rules they may need to balance points for at least the for the old vs new rules? as some things like stern pro may have to have an dead year if say some events are max 25-50 people even more so if techs / staff (non playing) count as part of the pop cap.

State finales may need to be way more open.

A league can be IFPA sanctioned too. It's just a tournament that takes several sessions. Players earn WPPRs at any sanctioned event.

The IFPA people will put some thought into it and come up with appropriate changes.

The only idea I have for leagues and tournaments to run is some sort of broken up format. People play in extremely small groups at different times, or even different locations. We're a long way away from having dozens of people get together at once.

I've been running Magic City Pinball League for over 10 years. We are(were) on the calendar to begin back on May 5th. I was hopeful this could actually happen but there's no way. Our location, BumperNets, is in a huge shopping mall and the entire place has been closed for sometime. What will our league look like when they finally do reopen? I really don't know, but I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Our league typically has around 30 players, spread out over a lot of square feet and about 34 pins. But sometimes just by coincidence, 75% of the players will be crammed into 20% of the space. That will have to change. I don't want to limit the numbers of players but I will have to limit players exposure to one another. I think at first masks will have to be mandatory. Games will need to be spread out or at least every other game turned off, etc. The owners have always provided hand sanitizer and wiped down the machines regularly. That will need to increase as well. So many question marks! But we will be back for season #34!

http://mcpl.league.papa.org/

The LA Lakers got a small business loan...great

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/04/28/politics/lakers-ppp-small-business/index.html

rock fantasy ( my shop & arcade ) has been forced to close weeks ago other than curbside pickup from our smoke shop . zero help from government so far ! I fear for the worst and I started selling off games I had at the local bowling alley and brewery . this week I am starting to sell selected games from the shop to gain funds to attempt to ride this out ! not sure they will ever let us reopen I am also a record & smoke shop for those who don't know . stay home with no money coming in is not great plan either is going out and contracting it

It’s a double edge sword/catch 22....everyone wants to go out and businesses want to open up. But everyone wants to do it safely.

The question NO ONE can answer is what is safe right now. No one really knows. I guess we will all find out as things start to open up....if we see a spike I am sure they will lock it down. If the numbers stay the same or decline I am sure more things will open up.

Fauci said it best...”the virus tells us when to go back to work.”

Hope the best for everyone!!!

A long term disinfectant solution that doesn't damage the machines AND proper Signage will be key to opening our arcade and hopefully having people not be too afraid to touch anything. Wondering if the pinball community or an arcade trade association has given its endorsement to any product yet.
Here's another found via google: https://germfreeinnovations.com/

Looking for feedback from fellow Pinsiders.

This post is lengthy, but I'd like to give you some background ... (stop reading now if you're already bored.)

I opened a small pinball lounge just a mile from my house last summer. The official grand opening was in November 2019. This is a part-time thing, Thurs-Sun. I have another full-time job to earn my living.

Now Here Pinball has 16 pinball machines and 1 virtual pin with 270+ games. All machines are set for Free Play. Customers are charged based on the amount of time they want to play.

$10 - Up to 1 hour
$15 - 1 to 2 hours
$20 - 2+ hours

Current Pinball Machines:

Aerosmith (Pro) (Stern, 2017)
Austin Powers (Stern, 2001)
Dirty Harry (Williams, 1995)
Guardians of the Galaxy (Pro) (Stern, 2017)
Gorgar (Williams, 1979)
Laser War (Data East, 1987)
Last Action Hero (Data East, 1993)
Lethal Weapon 3 (Data East, 1992)
Mousin' Around! (Bally, 1989)
The Munsters (Pro) (Stern, 2019)
Phantom of the Opera (Data East, 1990)
Slick Chick (Gottlieb, 1963)
Super Star (Williams, 1972)
Tally Ho (Exhibit, 1947)
Target Alpha (Gottlieb, 1976)
Team One (Gottlieb, 1977)

I've been closed since mid March and still not sure exactly when I can reopen. The rent and utilities are pretty reasonable, $800/mo. and I have no employees so I'm not that worried if I can hang in there for a while longer, it's more, where do I go from here once I can reopen.

I've thought of creating memberships for individuals, couples and families. I would sell just enough to cover the $800 I need to keep the place open.

By doing it this way, I'm thinking I can promote the fact that we are not open to random people just showing up to play pinball. Members would know our policies ahead of time and what we do to maintain a safe and sanitary place for their enjoyment.

Members would sign a membership agreement that covers all the essentials deemed necessary at the time ... (ie., masks must be worn, handwashing before beginning to play, etc.)

My place has never been that busy, maybe only a dozen or so people on a weekend. Cortland, NY is a small community located 45 minutes from Syracuse
and Binghamton, and 30 minutes from Ithaca, NY.

If I could sell just 20 memberships at $40 a month, it could keep my lounge going and I'd be super happy. If I was lucky enough to hit my monthly goal on a regular basis, I could create a waiting list for new members wanting to join.

Any thoughts? How about pricing? Looking at my list of games; what would you be willing to pay for an individual membership? .. a couple? .. or a family?

Any feedback will be appreciated.

If you've made it this far ... Thank You for reading!

Stay safe and be well ... Clyde

$40 a month is an absolute steal for anyone that lives close. I would actually consider raising that a bit. But either way, maybe include the ability for a plus one or two for an additional price. For some reference, Galloping Ghost near me lists this:

Galloping Ghost Arcade
Memberships
Brookfield Police and Fire are free.
Other police, fire, and all military receive $10 off admission.

Group rates start at 30 people.

* * * * *

Week Membership = $50
Good for 7 Days from the first day used

* * * * *

Monthly Membership = $120
Good until the same date the following month (non-reoccurring)
Includes Two Free Guest Passes (a $40 value)

* * * * *

Yearly Membership = $400
Comes with a Custom Membership Pass
Good until the same date the following year (non-reoccurring)

* * * * *

Lifetime Membership = $3000
Comes with a Custom Membership Pass
Also includes many other benefits, such as game request priority, early event notice, and more.

I would definitely join them if they were a bit closer for that year long plan... but I just thought this might be something for you to chew on.

Here's some info from one of the most successful pinball shops near me:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Pinball Gallery provides over 65 pinball machines and video games you can play in clean, comfortable, family-oriented environment (see our Game List).

Admission to the Pinball Gallery provides access to most of our games, which are set on free-play (no coins required!).

Admission rates are increasing for 2020 and are as follows:

$10 - one hour of play ($8/hour until 1/1/2020)
$18 - two hours of play ($16/hour until 1/1/2020)
$25 - play all-day ($20 until 1/1/2020)
$20 - group rate (3 or more) for play all-day ($15 until 1/1/2020)
$2.50 - Non-player admission
We also sell the following extended passes:

$70 - monthly pass ($50 until 1/1/2020)
$300 - yearly pass ($250 until 1/1/2020)
If you purchase a monthly or yearly pass, you receive a free Pinball Gallery "Player Card" that can be used for free admission anytime during that period, including our monthly tournaments, and weekly league.

We also offer the following reduced admission passes:

$7 - "Lunch-time special": On weekdays, anytime during the period from 11:30am-1:30pm, admission is reduced to $7/hour ($5/hour until 1/1/2020). Bring your lunch (we also sell drinks and snacks). Bring a friend. Have some fun playing plnball and classic video games!
If you are in hurry and only have time for a game or two, we also have something for you. There are a few games at the front of the store that are available for coin-play (no admission necessary).

Location, population density, and nearby competition matter when it comes to sustaining memberships.

You might make more money if you charge less! Think Netflix: Guests will keep it active even though they rarely use it due to the low price. Whereas if you have a big ask up front, few will pay, and even fewer will renew.

Our sponsorships might be the lowest of any pinball venue on the planet: $12.50/month individual, $18.50/month family (two adults, up to four kids max age 17).

Priced out for a year, that means a family of five would have to visit the museum four times in a year to break even (compared with single admission tickets).

HERE'S THE MATH: Does a typical family visit every three months without fail? NO. Maybe once or twice per year.

Aha! Trickle-charge your way to success.

True, some people will be heavy repeat visitors, but some will hardly use it at all. Doesn't matter. The price is low enough that everyone gets to be a supporter of the museum and receive special thanks, exclusive sponsors-only parties, and random gift swag... and will more likely want to keep supporting you rather than figure out how to abuse the system.

Furthermore, if you sell concessions, more people in the building = more food and drink sales.

HOWEVER - NOW THAT COVID19 IS A FACTOR MY WHOLE BUSINESS MODEL IS ADAPTING.

I hate "play for time" models... but it might be possible to create two-hour play brackets: 1pm-3pm, 3pm-5pm, etc. It would prevent overcrowding or selling out, people could plan their arrival without clogging up the hallways, everyone clears out at the same time... no tapping players on the shoulder, Vegas style, "Hey mac, you just played your last hand"... ugh. Don't do that to your customers.

Thanks for the feedback so far.

I did look up other pinball locations before I even opened up last year. Most places I researched have many more pins than I offer. Also, many have food and drink available.

Besides my 16 pins, I have a PacMan and a Galaga also set to free play. Canned sodas and bottled water are my only refreshments.

Even with such a small selection of pins my pricing was never really an issue with anyone. If you've never been to Cortland, there's really not a lot to do in terms of casual entertainment.

The only reason I'm considering changing my current business model from an "open to everyone at an hourly rate" to a "monthly membership" format is to limit the exposure to those playing to a much smaller group of individuals.

It's a strange time and I'm just trying to think of ways to help this place pay for its existence.

Thanks for listening. My wife is sick of hearing me talk about this stuff.

I am just wondering why an arcade operator thinks that damage to exterior pin surfaces would be KEY to reopening an arcade. You are an operator not an anal HUO collector like many of us on Pinside. I understand a minor concern but having it a KEY concern? Having played and owned many routed games; the wear around flipper buttons never affected gameplay and won’t stop clients from playing. Isn’t that sort of minor damage to be expected like break pad wear on a car or pants wearing through at the knees?

You can use lollipop rails or Mylar protectors. I understand that resale value might drop a little but that is true of any used item. I wouldn’t think any serious operator would be that concerned with that issue. However, I do understand that a lot of collectors are becoming mini-operators to pay for the hobby.

Good luck reopening everyone. Hopefully, our lives and arcades will be back to normal in 2021.

As an operator I take the view if you don't have messes, wear and tear, you don't have any business.

Many years ago after I recovered the pool tables. They looked so nice. My Mother remarked that she wished they'd stay like that. I told her hell, then we ain't got any business. I wish I was recovering them four times a year.

Stuff built for commercial use. Expect it to get used.

I am talking normal use here. Not abuse done intentionally.

LTG : )

I remember when pool halls were more popular around here 25-30 years ago. My dad and I would go, and I was pretty young...maybe 12-13. Any given place may have 10-15 tables or so. The first couple times you went, you got put on one of the ratted out tables in the front, and if you proved you were not a bunch of hacks, the next time you got put on the nicer tables in the back with new felt. Sadly, I do not think there is a pool hall left around here. They turned into drama factories involving gangs, who eventually ruined it.

I managed bars for a good portion of my life, and pool tables were a constant source of unwanted trouble in every bar that had one. Worst offense was when a guy drove his car through the wall because of an argument over a pool game.

To Clarify. Some of the disinfectant solutions out there (vaporization) use a mild chloride alkaline solution that would damage many metals including stainless steel... I'm not worried about the flippers or 'wear and tear' type of damage. I want customer to know that the machines are clean and that we're using the best localized disinfectant available.

So much for a rather informative thread someone left the door open again.

T Y mods

Im a part owner at two bars, decided it was best not to even bother with pool tables at the second location because they bring to much drama. Sucks because most people are great, it's the few that mess it up for everyone. That and they take up tons of room for what they make. I have an air hockey table at the second location that makes/made more then all three pool tables at the first. Thinks it's more a bar staple, like darts more than anything.
On the other side, you might make it up in alcohol sales, because pool people tend to drink more.

We have a lot of pool leagues in our area. We also use diamond tables at our better locations. Air hockey at some locations is certainly a great earning piece of equipment but the maintenance is much heavier when you have an incident, ie a spill etc. We cover all our pool tables in black with black or accent color rails so that the stains are much better hidden. Overall our job as operators is to make the locations more money, a pool table has very little down time and keeps people on site longer. That's why it is a bar standard. Yes it does take up a decent amount of real estate but a good site will do around $600/week per table.

I still remember when this happened at a bar with pool table in a Marriott. So much for upscale clientele....

https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/he-was-stabbed-to-death-over-a-20-bet-at-a-bar-jason-sizemores-killer-is-still-missing-18-years-later

u seem to say that alot

Appreciate sharing your shopping list, Pooky. Would not recommend the ozone generator. Potentially harmful and won't be effective against coronavirus.

Also recommend checking out the Coway AP-1216L: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KGR2EUU

Don’t forget rent your machine to people for their house got some operators in my area on this and now a few people are renting machines

That and you'll be re-rubbering your pinball machines a lot more often.

My opinion:

Space the games out for social distancing.

Only allow a certain amount of players in at a time.

A temperature scanner would be awesome, check everyone at the door.

Disposable glove dispensers all over the place. Everyone is required to wear gloves while playing, so no need to put harsh chemicals on the games.

Play 80's music to remind everyone how awesome everything used to be.

Make sure the beer is extra cold.

Facemasks are optional.

I saw tonight on the fox news a company that was making clear plastic sheets for restaurants to hang between booths etc... maybe this would be helpful if the games cannot be spread out 6ft or help protect certain areas from others. Not sure what the company name was but I’m sure some google searching would find it. I just thought this might be a good idea to kind of make each game its own room at least side to side. I guess you could just buy some clear shower curtains for the cheap way out.
Joe