Worcester Business Journal

10 Worcester Business Journal | January 27, 2025 | wbjournal.com BY ERIC CASEY WBJ Managing Editor E verything old can be new again. is adage is a driving force behind bar arcades: establishments where patrons can unwind with food and alcohol while enjoying classic games like "Ms. Pac-Man" or "NBA Jam." One such business is up and running in Worcester, and another set to open in Fitchburg. Despite featuring technology that might be consid- ered ancient by someone just coming of drinking age, nostalgia and curiosity for the seemingly simpler times of the late 20th century are a major driving force be- hind bar arcade's popularity, according to current and prospective owners of the region's bar arcades. "ere's just been an influx of nostalgia on TV pro- grams like 'Stranger ings,' which was 1980s-based, and it gets a lot of younger people into the era," said PRESS START Joshua Rife, who is working to open a bar arcade in Fitchburg. "It's kind of mystical to them, so they're wondering what that's like. But also people my age in their 30s, who kind of have money now, we can go out and experience things and buy things that we used to want when we were kids." As demand rises and original parts become harder to find, arcade machines which were once viewed as a bulky relic of a bygone era can now fetch thousands, presenting entrepreneurs with the rare piece of busi- ness equipment which can accrue in value even while being used. Second life Arcade machines have been a common sight in bars and restaurants since "Pong" first broke onto the scene in 1972, but they were typically a sideshow attraction taking up otherwise unused real estate. It wouldn't be until 1999 when Ground Kontrol, one of the first known arcade-focused bars, opened in Port- land, Oregon. Originally solely an arcade, the business made the decision to focus on adult clientele by adding a bar and food options a few years aer opening. Ground Kontrol was followed by a Barcade, a chain of bar arcades with its first location in Brooklyn opened in 2004, according to an article published in Imbibe Magazine. Several Barcade locations have opened on the East Coast since, with the firm's owners being particularly litigious towards any other establishment trying to use the term Barcade in its title, according to a 2019 article from Eater. Both Barcade and Ground Kontrol showed arcade machines were not simply artifacts of the past. e concept has spread to major cities across the country, ironically becoming more popular as arcades faded from relevance for video game production firms, which are now almost exclusively focused on making console games played at home. Free Play in Worcester Free Play Bar & Arcade in Worcester opened in September 2021, with its opening being delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Founded by Jay Leone, An- thony Santurri, and Eric Tidd, the Worcester location followed the successful opening of the company's first location in Providence in 2017. Leone, a former engineer at Hopkinton tech compa- ny EMC, originally started collecting arcade machines as a hobby around 2008, enjoying the thrill of finding old machines and bringing them back to life. With his collection growing and the concept of bar arcades tak- ing off elsewhere in the country, he contacted Santurri, Free Play Bar & Arcade in Worcester launched an outdoor patio space after its opening, in a hope to keep customers returning for new experiences. PHOTOS | COURTESY OF FREE PLAY Central Mass. bar arcades look to cash in on nostalgia

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