[FSPA] Update on Mighty Mikes alternative venue

[ethan at 757.org]

> things work.  In fact, it is next to impossible to find one that is 
> zoned for amusement arcade, in Fairfax or Loudoun counties anyway. 
> Trust me I have been looking for a long time, a couple years.  And 
> Fairfax county wants a crazy $14,000 just to get a variance (on paper), 
> and even at that, there are no guarantees, you have to go thru a 
> horrible time consuming process and board meetings.

You mean, a museum... not an arcade, not a recreation hall... a museum!

> close enough to the end of Fairfax and Loudoun counties like MM's was) . 
> I have been in negotiations with the manager and marketing manager, and

Bungalow Billards has a non-smoking side. I think they're an E2 location 
currently but maybe you can get a waiver (RZG is also E2 but exception was 
made.)

There is also Backyard Grill right there but I don't think they have as 
much space as Bungalow Billards. I don't know how loaded up with people 
the non-smoking section gets but usually it's been dead when I was there 
at Bungalow.

> THAT big.  They explained about how they currently have to move the 2 
> pinballs they now have around now when they rent the space to parties 
> and events almost once every week.  But there is another space on the 
> other end of their large space that is prime for 6 machines, and they 
> are thinking about it.  But there reservation is while they are OK with 
> 1 or 2 machines, they don't want to be thought of, or seen as by their 
> customers, as having an arcade atmosphere.  This is the most frequently 
> used (but almost never spoken) reason to decline games.

Interesting. It is interesting that there are so many people in NoVA but 
it's fairly culturally dead. You would think there would be barcades like 
the other cities. Ground Kontrol in Portland or HQ Beercade in Chitown or 
the one in Brooklyn or... or... or... so many coming up.

And the brewery bubble... whew those guys need some sort of angle everyone 
is rushing into that space as that markup has to be pretty banging.

> nearby section of Ashburn.  They actually wanted a bunch of games and so 
> I tested 2, and they do OK, and offered them 5 or 6 more once MM's 
> closed.  While the manager (Chris, seems like a good and smart guy) is 
> all for it, he has to convince the owner, who is not all for it, as I am 
> guessing for the reasons that they don't want their image to be one of

Was just there last night for a computer security meetup. I asked if they 
had a Fastbreak and he said yes, and the guy working the bar was 
interested in the whole aspect of pinball league. It sounded like he 
wanted it. I didn't get a chance to play the pinball because they close at 
9pm and the meeting went until then. I noticed that the side room had a 
barrel wall that was close, that didn't used to be there and that entire 
side used to be open and deep. I think the first time I went there -- 
there was a live music performance going on further back.

I just need a 15,000 sqft climate controlled properly zoned free warehouse 
to build a live music space, arcade and classic computer museum. Hehe.



--
: Ethan O'Toole