[FSPA] NEW Sterling location / League Hangout a reality

Mon Nov 20 13:36:02 EST 2017

Please ignore my kombucha in the solo cup.  It's fizzy.

On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 1:32 PM, Dan Reynolds via FSPA <fspa at fspazone.org>
wrote:

> Roland,
>
> congrats on both the pinball hangout and the foster kid!
>
> can't wait to come by and play some pinball!
>
> is it a "BYO" situation with beer, or is it prohibited?
>
> Dan
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 12:15 PM, Roland Joyal via FSPA <fspa at fspazone.org
> > wrote:
>
>> All-  Finally some good news on the reference subject.  After a lot of
>> false starts & stops with other established commercial locations, and a lot
>> of searching and research for my own Pincade place, I have secured a place
>> for FSPA/Sterling league and misc tournaments to play.  All negotiations
>> and due diligence has been completed and a lease was signed.  This is a
>> going to be a pin haven *for* pinball people run *by* a pinball person,
>> and as such I will do almost all maintenance myself.  My intention is to
>> not only have this as the Sterling/Loudoun League location, but* also* as
>> a "club house" or *hangout* for the league, and as such, it will be
>> manned by volunteers under limited hours.  You don't have to be a finance
>> major to know the between the expensive rent (unless you go way out), the
>> lack of parking in many industrial complexes, and the typical
>> non-pinball-friendly views of merchants and landlords, this area is not
>> conducive to pinball places.  But I have found an industrial area that is
>> close by (just 1 mile past intersection of Rt 28 and Rt 606 Old Ox Rd), is
>> perfectly configured, is just the right amount of space to be efficient
>> with an actual shot at breaking even, and has plenty of free parking in the
>> evenings and weekends (well over 50 spaces!), and a pinball-friendly
>> landlord.  The place will also serve as a showroom for used machines I am
>> liquidating, as well as a couple new pinball machines from Stern.  I am
>> also working a deal to broker and offer $50 off to league members on just
>> about all smaller brands of pinball machines drop-shipped that are
>> generally not discounted in the market. Pinball sales/commissions are few,
>> so I am not counting on much revenue from that, but every bit will help to
>> pay the expenses.
>>
>> The concept is we need evening and weekend volunteers (referred to as
>> officers) that will have keys to the place and be trusted with opening and
>> closing the place a few nights a week as well as weekends.  Other than
>> league night (when the place will be opened by league mangers) the regular
>> volunteer officers will be able to play some games for free while they are
>> there.  We currently have a few volunteers lined up in off-line
>> communications, but NEED MORE, so please email me off line at *JoyalRJ at aol.com
>> <JoyalRJ at aol.com>* if you can be a regular officer or a backup when the
>> regular officers can't make it.  To help pay the rent, heat/AC, and other
>> utilities, plus a portion of the landlord's expenses, parking lot
>> maintenance, taxes (yes, sadly, tenants must pay that in just about all
>> commercial leases), and liability insurance, I will need a LOT of coin
>> drop, and will supplement that with proceeds from the sale of soft drinks,
>> bottled water, and snacks, at vending machine prices, or maybe lower.  In
>> the *club house* style, we will use the "Honor System" to pay for those
>> things and have a coin box to deposit exact change in quarters.  We also
>> need volunteers to run tournaments, similar to the existing ones run at
>> other locations, as well as any other new ones if someone wanted to try
>> something different.
>>
>> I wanted a clean place that will make playing modern & retro pinballs
>> fun, and therefore not be too dark, not too light, and highlight the games
>> with proper acoustics, to allow the music and speech the designers work
>> hard to produce to be properly heard.  As such the place has both carpet
>> and acoustic ceiling tiles, so the games will sound great and people will
>> find it easy to talk and socialize, and not sound all echoey (is that a
>> word?).  The place is VERY clean with it's brand new paint & carpet and it
>> will be Non-Smoking, but smoking is allowed 25 feet away from the building.
>>
>> After speaking with league mangers, we have decided to allow the current
>> league to finish at it's current temporary "MM's refugees" location in
>> Fairfax, but Joe can speak more to that if there are any questions.  I had
>> hired professional movers to wrap and move 5 pins, plus Touchtunes jukebox,
>> large coin changer, and some misc furniture and fixtures ...the move went
>> well.  Ultimately there is room for another 5 or more machines.  And to
>> that end, I am purchasing a Star Wars (Stern) and have had on order order a
>> Guardians of the Galaxy since it became available, plus there is the
>> Ghostbusters that we had for a littlle bit at Mighty Mikes before they got
>> shut down. There will likely be a couple of C titles coming end of the
>> month, so no biggie.
>>
>> The hours will depend on league volunteers, and is still being worked on,
>> but roughly they will be Mon (league night) 6pm to 10pm (or whenever league
>> finishes or when the "after party" finishes).  Tues & Wed, 6pm -9:30pm,
>> closed Thurs, Friday 3 or 4 PM - 10 PM (Tim of Premiere has graciously
>> volunteered to do this longer shift).  Still looking for people to help
>> with weekends, but if we get some more volunteers I am guessing it can be
>> open Sat 1pm to 10pm (two shifts) Sun 1pm - 6pm.  All that can change, and
>> it may be closed sometimes when it should be open, and vice versa, but that
>> is the best guess right now.  I want to get a few chairs in I have on
>> order, a small drink refrigerator, and the 2 new pins in before opening.
>> The address is 22977 Eaglewood Ct, Suite G130, Sterling, VA 20166 and the
>> name of the place will be, simply, "Roland's Place" (yes, a nod to John of
>> "John's Place")
>>
>> Feel free to comment on this thread, but also send a second note offline
>> if you are willing to volunteer and let me know what days/times you are
>> available and your frequency.  Since this is not space in a busy mall or
>> city street, it's success or failure will depend heavily on our area
>> pinball community and FSPA league.  I will have an announcement when it is
>> complete enough to open, I am guessing end of Nov or beginning of Dec.
>> It's one of the biggest ventures/risks and commitments of time I have
>> undertaken.  Having said that, I also undertook an even greater
>> responsibility and commitment of time ...the same day I signed the lease I
>> also signed the paperwork to foster care a 13 year old kid.  I have been
>> volunteering for the foster care program and driving back and forth to
>> Richmond area, as well as undergoing training, for the past couple years in
>> order to meet and handle traumatized kids/teens that have been taken away
>> form their parents for various reasons.  I just can't believe the crazy
>> coincidence that both these life-changing responsibilities and commitments
>> officially happened the exact same day.
>>
>> Thanks
>>  -Roland
>> Professional Amusements, LLC
>>
>>
>>
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