[FSPA] Update on Mighty Mikes alternative venue

Mon Aug 21 16:07:47 EDT 2017

I'm just here to say thanks for the updates Roland and your work on trying
to find a spot.  I'm am further south and probably wouldn't play there, but
I'm encouraged to see you really working this.  This community is finicky
and sometimes a bit crazy, but I think it is because we all love the game.
So Thanks From Me.

On Thu, Aug 17, 2017 at 5:09 PM, kimbrennan--- via FSPA <fspa at fspazone.org>
wrote:

> Regarding Old Ox brewery. A couple of years ago we did an indoor (disc
> golf) putting league there (winter time only). Not a great spot. Not a lot
> of space, no food options and over all just only had location as a selling
> point. We tried it again the following year and ended up double booked with
> a botchie ball group. Pass.
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On Aug 17, 2017, at 4:35 PM, Roland Joyal via FSPA <fspa at fspazone.org>
> wrote:
>
> Hi All-  Just thought I would give everybody an update on my efforts since
> MM's abruptly closed (right after I purchased a new GB and JL pins, grrrrr)
> and the outcome of some FSPA member's suggestions.
>
> As far as a Pincade in Herndon that I mentioned a couple months ago, when
> I asked for volunteers to help man it (and got several pinheads interested,
> thank you), I went and told the property owner I would be willing to take a
> portion of the space he offered and am ready to sign a lease.  I agreed to
> it costing me $20,000 - $30,000 to fit up the space, and was willing to do
> that if I can get a league long term commitment it would eventually be paid
> off in the long tern by coin drop ...and yes i realize it will take a LOT
> of coin drop! lol.
>
> Well, instead of the owner jumping on it, he wanted to "mull it around".
> This was not a good sign, as a few months ago he offered the space (it has
> been vacant for a decade) and it was just a matter of how much space I
> needed, but there was not a scenario where he would *not* rent it.  Now
> he has come back, after him abruptly putting off several missed
> appointments, and said he just can't rent it, he needs the space for more
> of his own company's current usage. So I kept trying and met with him the
> other day again, and I even offered him a "bonus" $5K as an incentive to
> pay for any inconvenience of moving his stuff out.  He is going to think
> about it some more.
>
> Concerning FSPA member's suggestions for locations.  I actually acted on
> your suggestions.  Someone suggested the Wing place in Sterling and the
> vacant commercial spot in the nearby shopping center.   The Wing place is a
> chain, so that is not going to work as corporate places do not stray from
> their main mission and image.  Plus they already have an operator.  I
> researched the suggested vacant spot in the  nearby shopping center and
> have discovered it is not zoned appropriately.
>
> What most people don't realize when they see all these vacant spots in
> strip malls or industrial parks, etc,that no matter how run down or new,
> these places simply aren't zoned for a pinball/video arcade.  You just cant
> rent a spot and stick pinball machines in it, that is not the way 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.
>
> Mustang Sally's in Chantilly was suggested (although not sure if it is
> 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 they
> are "thinking about it".  They have a HUGE amount of space, and 2 pinballs
> now.  But they even said "not sure about the space".  I was thinking WTF,
> as you could just about have a rave in their space, its 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.
>
> I have looked into several commercial locations and researched them since
> MM's closed, and finally one looked like it had a chance as it was zoned
> properly, but there are only 8 parking spaces.  So even though the league
> is at night and the other places are closed, people may not feel ok parking
> in spaces marked "reserved" for other merchants.  Plus if they push it and
> make sure no one is parking in other spots (even at night when no one is
> using them) that could shut the place down, and whoever signed the lease
> will be stuck with a lease of a place that is not going to work for
> intended purposes.  Plus weekends may be a problem when all the places are
> open.
>
> I continue to hit the pavement and meeting with managers of various
> places, including breweries in Loudoun county, but most either don't have
> the space and/or are not HVAC equipped.  The one brewery I have 2 games in
> already for the past couple months is The Lost Rhino in the 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 an arcade as it may scare off
> customers, or reduce table space.  I made the argument to them that the
> extra 20+ customers will more than make up for it. These typical business
> owners just "don't get it", but they are usually wealthy people who can
> make business mistakes and not have it affect them, until they make too
> many and they go out of business.   But sometimes I can see their point,
> and it's their business image/model, so they can do and think what they
> want.
>
> Soooooo, after tirelessly hitting the streets and trying to make things
> happen for the league and myself, I am hopeful one of the "iffy" places
> mentioned in this note come through.  Keep in mind this is not just a hobby
> for me as this is a significant way I make a living ever since about the
> year 2000.  So I NEED to get these machines that I purchased *specifically
> *for FSPA league use (save for NBA and Royal Flush which I already had)
> into a location nearby, so if anyone else has any suggestions please eMail
> me off line at JoyalRJ at aol.com.  Hope this update helps.
>
> -Roland
>  PROFESSIONAL AMUSEMENTS, LLC
> *Local tel 703-481-1313 <(703)%20481-1313> or Toll FREE 1-877-4-PINBALL *
>
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