[FSPA] Silverball Sanctum CLOSING & RELOCATING

[Roland Joyal]

All-  It is with great regret that I have to inform you that Silverball Sanctum is unfortunately closing next week, and fortunately, for the most part, relocating to Lost Rhino Brewing Co in Ashburn, not all that far away from SS (although it will operate with about a half dozen games instead of the nine unique titles we had at SS's current location.)  Would have closed last week but I left everything intact this weekend in order to host the party.  The silver lining in all of this is that Lost Rhino has food and beverage service, and more liberal operating hours for pinball play than the volunteer-based pincade would ever be able to offer.  The night of the league will change to Wednesday (which may mean some can't make it and it might open the door to others who couldn't make Mondays) as they are closed Monday.  And I didn't want to steal any players from the other relatively close-by Fair Lakes Car Pool league, which plays on Tuesdays, so the next relatively slow night for establishments Lost Rhino could do it was Wed.  Joe and/or Edan will have more information about that so please hold questions and comments about the day of week change, and the possible time change to start 30-60 minutes earlier, until such time as they have a note released about that aspect.  


To give you a full explanation and squash any mis-information, it is basically a happy-turned-sad pincade story, as some of this has already been shared with some of you that typically stay late while playing this first (and last) season at SS's current location when the trouble all started.  It all seemed great finding this needle in haystack location after an extensive search for a very rare combination of aspects including location, square footage, configuration, price, zoning, and a tremendous amount of free parking.  Then the landlord, as a result of the next door tenant's complaint (who's lease was up a month or so ago) indicated they had numerous complaints about noise.  Unless "numerous" means about two or three, I don't see how that could be true as the pincade was only open about a couple times for league when the tenant was in his space at night unexpectedly by the time the official complaint letter was received.


I was completely upfront and honest with the landlord.  They had no problem with pinball use and I proceeded with the stressful due diligence period, going sentence by sentence through the lengthy contract, and I asked, in writing, about the noise clause (along with other questions) and told them pinball machines make noise.  The landlord replied, in writing, basically indicating they knew my use and that noise should not be a problem because my operating hours (generally open nights and weekends) mitigate that issue.  It was also stated in writing that an outdoor sign would be provided, and as many have seen, there is not one.  I have learned a lot about ethics in business practices after this experience.  And of course don't we all know how right and wrong and the truth does not seem to matter when it comes to big business?  I have heard from another source that from their vast experience with landlords, in general, the opinion is that 9 out of 10 are jerks.  I remember how the leasing agent and property manager said they can't wait until the pincade is open and that they will bring quarters.     


Anyway, after the noise complaint, a senior representative met with me and apologized for the bad start and wanted to simply break the lease amicably.  He indicated he was going to take "lessons learned" back to his team as he indicated they should have never leased space for pinball use.  He didn't seem to care that the single complaining tenant was leaving, indicating it would be hard to rent their space with a pincade next door as a tenant.  Outdated negativity associated with pinball is nothing new, and as some of you recall a couple years ago I had a negotiated and accepted a letter of intent from a seller of a perfect commercial property at Lake Anne in Reston, but the POA Merchant Board decided they did not want a pinball place, thwarting my effort on that pinball project.  


So I got an attorney to review things and his opinion was that I have a good case.  He asked me to provide letter(s) from other "expert" pinball people/companies that will indicate in their experienced or expert opinion that the noise generated from this pincade is customary for a pincade.  I reached out to three FSPA  people, and two of the three were glad to help support pinball and the pincade and provided a short letter, which helped.  So this could be a long battle, and regardless, after a couple years the landlord almost certainly would not renew the lease, and that would spoil what was going to be a long term thing for this league location.  Therefore, I approached my already established account at Lost Rhino, and they actually welcomed the league.  So I will let the attorney do his thing and try and reach a settlement for what we contend is a breach of the lease.  And as some of you know, I took on the care of a foster teenager in November, and having to deal with a long drawn out nightmare of not knowing if I am staying or going would only detract from the quality time I want to spend with my foster son this summer, so that weighed heavily into my decision to fight to stay, or leave and let the attorney handle it.    


There are no words to describe how disappointed and exhausted I am.  Anyone that has started their own business probably has some idea, but in this case, as a sole proprietor I didn't have the luxury of writing checks to people to get things done.  The details and headaches involved to get an undertaking like this from start to completion has been pretty much as difficult as I expected, especially with my other jobs, but I did not count on the behavior of the landlord.  I did not find much empathy from them as to the money and time I have invested.  Besides all the furniture and many other things you have to shop for in this or any other business, with a pincade one has to also track down cherry condition machines, purchase, transport, clean and recondition them.  It would have been a "labor of love" as they say, but only had it been long term.  And while I had some pins already from the previous location, Mighty Mikes, I needed more for SS.  But now that I am going back down in numbers and have limited storage space in my house, I would at least consider selling one or two, maybe one or two of my most recent ones, Dracula or Star Wars Premium, and a Megatouch game, so if interested you can email me off line or touch base with me and the party tomorrow. 


So there ya have it, and I hope the above addresses the questions and rumors.  Again, I will let Joe and Edan address the new league location in other emails.  We had a great turn out with a social crowd this past season and I want to THANK ALL YOU PLAYERS that participated at Silverball Sanctum in the FSPA league!  You all helped to make it's short lived life in it's current location a success!  I hope you won't let the landlord "win" and let the relocation stop you from participating in the Summer and/or Fall season.  Lost Rhino has a lot of potential and the manager is enthusiastic to support pinball and the league, so lets show our support back to them.  


I also want to THANK the volunteers that helped keep SS running by manning the place on non-league days and nights.  Those volunteers are Tim (of Premier), Thomas (guest player), Edan (who really needs to learn how to play pinball so he can get a high score fr once, lol), and substituting a week ago, Joel.  And of course thanks to Edan and Joe for their continued management work in the league, and Joe and Julie for putting together the party, as well as Kevin of Pinholics Anonymous for including SS in the selfie tourney.  And I appreciate the kind words from everybody who came by to check the place out, and the feedback/suggestions I requested that was provided by the players through FSPA management, all of which I tried to incorporate into the place to make it a great place to enjoy pinball. 


I look forward to the party today, which will double as a bittersweet goodbye party for the current location, and hopefully I will see some of you next season at the new location!  


-Roland
Professional Amusements, LLC
www.SilverballSanctum.com
Tel: 703-481-1313    


              

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