If you're over the age of 25 and consider yourself a gamer, chances are there is a place in your heart for classic arcades. The loud beeps, the bright lights, and the joy that comes from games like Donkey Kong, Galaga or Ms. Pac-Man. During the 80's arcade games were everywhere, and every shopping center or mall had an arcade filled with gamers trying to beat their high scores. Once home consoles were able to have the same power as what was at the arcades, however, the crowds vanished and arcades closed their doors.
The games that we grew up with are now considered "retro" and "classic," and whether its original gamers falling back in love arcade games or new gamers who are discovering the joys that a couple of quarters can buy you. While these games are available on every platform imaginable, the interest to play them the way they used to be played is on the rise. People don't want to just play Dig Dug on their iPads, they want to play a dedicated cabinet with their friends. Playing Tron at home on an Xbox just doesn't have the same type of flare as playing it at an arcade with the glowing blue joystick, elbow-to-elbow with other game enthusiasts.
Even with the sudden rise of interest in classic gaming and arcades, there are still very few public arcades. Many arcades are currently private collections to cabinet collectors and are only available to that individuals group of friends. There have been a few brave entrepreneurs throughout the United States that have taken the leap into opening up classic arcades, and the Twin Cities is fortunate enough to have two such people. In 2011 Annie and Sage Spirtos opened Rusty Quarters, a classic arcade with over two dozen original dedicated arcade cabinets and pinball machines.
The Twin Cities has embraced this amazing local hangout in its salute to yesteryear. It has been written about in local and national publications, featured in local news stories, and has even housed two weddings! The magic that has been created at Rusty Quarters has been felt by young and old, game enthusiasts and novices alike.
Even with its high praise and a loyal consumer fan base, Rusty Quarters has felt some bumps in the road. On two separate occasions the Spritos have had to go to the public with fundraising campaigns to help keep the doors open. Slow traffic periods during miserable Minnesota winters took a huge financial hit, and due to a very restrictive lease there are few business model options for them to take (example: the property doesn't allow them to include a restaurant or a bar to help create additional revenue).
The Spirtos have discovered the challenges of running a classic arcade in the modern era and know that the current business model they are under will not allow the arcade to survive in the long term. With their lease set to expire in November 2014, they are counting down the days until they can relocate into another Twin Cities location with more space, less rent and overhead costs, and most importantly more business opportunities. With just a little over 17 months remaining on the lease, this window of time can feel like an eternity but also very limiting. While they will be working hard to keep gamers coming in the door for the next year and a half, the expansion costs are also very daunting. While the current Rusty Quarters is filled nearly to the max with arcade cabinets, a new space will allow (and almost demand) more games to fill it up. If the new Rusty Quarters also plans to have food or drink services, there is a lot of equipment that will be needed to be purchased before that is possible.
It is this desire for Rusty Quarters to expand and to build its success that the group "Friends of Rusty Quarters" has been created. FORQ consists of classic gaming enthusiasts and loyal patrons of Rusty Quarters that want to keep the doors of their favorite local arcade open and help the future expansion. Through various fundraising efforts, FORQ will purchase additional cabinets and other necessities so that the burden of those expenses can be taken off of the Spirtos so that they can maintain the current Rusty Quarters location all the way up to when their lease ends and they can cut the ribbon to their new location.
More details about FORQ will be coming soon, but if you have any questions or interest please feel free to email the group at friendsofrustyquarters@gmail.com.
The Spirtos have discovered the challenges of running a classic arcade in the modern era and know that the current business model they are under will not allow the arcade to survive in the long term. With their lease set to expire in November 2014, they are counting down the days until they can relocate into another Twin Cities location with more space, less rent and overhead costs, and most importantly more business opportunities. With just a little over 17 months remaining on the lease, this window of time can feel like an eternity but also very limiting. While they will be working hard to keep gamers coming in the door for the next year and a half, the expansion costs are also very daunting. While the current Rusty Quarters is filled nearly to the max with arcade cabinets, a new space will allow (and almost demand) more games to fill it up. If the new Rusty Quarters also plans to have food or drink services, there is a lot of equipment that will be needed to be purchased before that is possible.
It is this desire for Rusty Quarters to expand and to build its success that the group "Friends of Rusty Quarters" has been created. FORQ consists of classic gaming enthusiasts and loyal patrons of Rusty Quarters that want to keep the doors of their favorite local arcade open and help the future expansion. Through various fundraising efforts, FORQ will purchase additional cabinets and other necessities so that the burden of those expenses can be taken off of the Spirtos so that they can maintain the current Rusty Quarters location all the way up to when their lease ends and they can cut the ribbon to their new location.
More details about FORQ will be coming soon, but if you have any questions or interest please feel free to email the group at friendsofrustyquarters@gmail.com.
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