The Archives
The Archives is a privately held arcade bar in downtown Burlington, Vermont, combining a craft beverage program, 20+ vintage arcade games and pinball machines, and weekend live music events to serve nightlife and entertainment-seeking patrons and private event clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersBurlington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Archives does
The Archives is an arcade bar operating from a single retail location at 191 College Street in downtown Burlington, Vermont. Founded in 2016, the business combines a full bar with a curated collection of 20+ vintage arcade games and pinball machines (spanning titles from the 1980s-2000s including Pac-Man, Galaga, NBA Jam, Tapper, and Attack from Mars) alongside a craft beverage program featuring 24 rotating draft lines and a handcrafted cocktail menu divided into seasonal specialties and archived classics. The venue operates daily from 12:00 pm to 2:00 am, with all-ages admission permitted during designated afternoon hours and 21+ restriction in the evening.
The company generates revenue through multiple streams: beverage sales (cocktails, craft beer on draft, shots, mocktails), live entertainment venue fees from weekend music programming featuring local Vermont artists, and licensed catering services for private off-site events. Go-to-market is entirely direct-to-consumer via walk-in traffic at the physical venue, supported by organic social presence on Untappd and Yelp. Customer segments split between nightlife and entertainment seekers (primary, persona-based) and event/catering clients (secondary, use-case-based).
The underlying technology stack is minimal: no proprietary systems are disclosed, with the website built on a standard template platform and only basic third-party integrations (Google reCAPTCHA, Untappd, Yelp). There is no mobile application, API, or data infrastructure described. The business model is a traditional brick-and-mortar hospitality operation with no recurring revenue, no subscription layer, and no digital distribution channel. Ownership structure is not disclosed but appears to be independently held with no parent company or institutional investors referenced in available sources.
The Archives firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Archives
- Legal name
- Archives
- Website
- https://thearchivesbar.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Archives is a privately held arcade bar in downtown Burlington, Vermont, combining a craft beverage program, 20+ vintage arcade games and pinball machines, and weekend live music events to serve nightlife and entertainment-seeking patrons and private event clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Archives industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Arcade Bar / Entertainment Venue
- NAICS
- Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Amusement Arcades (713120)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gaming Café/Bar Hybrid Venues (Food & Beverage + Competitive Play) (MPAFALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Cocktail Bars & Lounges (CRANACAD), Coin-Operated Entertainment (Pinball, Crane/Claw, Jukebox, Darts/Billiards) (MPAEAJAF)
Keywords
Where The Archives is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Burlington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Archives business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Beverage Sales: Revenue from handcrafted cocktails, craft beer on draft (24 rotating tap lines), shots, and non-alcoholic mocktails. The bar offers a seasonal cocktail menu alongside archived classics, appealing to a wide range of customer preferences from casual to discerning drinkers.
- Event Catering: Licensed catering services for private events, providing cocktail and beverage services at off-site locations. Michele serves as the contact for catering inquiries.
- Live Entertainment Venue: Weekend live music events featuring local bands and DJs (Grace Palmer, Dex Leatherman, Mike MacDonald, Troy Millette, Jerborn, Ryan Sweeney, Zach Tyler Band, Jesse Agan) draw crowds and drive beverage sales during peak weekend hours.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Archives product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Archives is an arcade bar that sells on-site consumption of 24 rotating craft beer drafts, handcrafted cocktails (seasonal and archived classics), shots, and mocktails, paired with over 20 vintage arcade and pinball machines available free-to-play for patrons. The venue also hosts weekend live music events with local bands and DJs and offers licensed off-site catering services for private events.
Product overview
The Archives is an arcade bar offering a combination of vintage gaming, craft beverages, and live entertainment. The core experience consists of 24 rotating draft lines, a handcrafted cocktail program featuring seasonal specialties and archived classics, and over 20 vintage arcade machines and pinball tables from the 1980s-2000s. The venue also hosts weekend live music events. A catering license enables private event services. The product portfolio is unified under one venue experience rather than separate platform or modular offerings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Vintage Arcade Games & Pinball
Companies that use The Archives
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Archives technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
The Archives partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Local Musicians & ArtistsminorThe Archives hosts rotating weekend live music events featuring local Vermont musicians including Grace Palmer, Dex Leatherman, Mike MacDonald, Troy Millette, Jerborn, Ryan Sweeney, Zach Tyler Band, and Jesse Agan. These artists perform at the venue, creating a co-promotional relationship that benefits both the artists' exposure and the bar's entertainment draw.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Archives competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Up-Down: Arcade bar chain featuring classic arcade games, pinball, and a full bar. Direct competitor on the combined vintage-gaming + alcohol-entertainment positioning.
- Barcade: Pioneering multi-location arcade bar combining vintage arcade games and pinball with a craft beer program. Operates multiple venues across the U.S. and is the closest direct analogue to The Archives' vintage games + craft draft concept.
- 16-Bit Bar+Arcade: Multi-unit arcade bar chain pairing classic video games with a full bar and cocktail program. Closely comparable in offering mix (games + cocktails + beer) and target demographic.
- Emporium Arcade Bar: Multi-location arcade bar with vintage games, pinball, and craft beer. Comparable concept targeting the same nostalgic + nightlife intersection in slightly different metros.
Broad incumbents
- Dave & Buster's: National eatertainment chain with arcade games, sports viewing, and full bar. Publicly scaled incumbent that competes for discretionary entertainment dollars but at a much broader scale.
- Punch Bowl Social: Larger-format eatertainment venue combining food, bar, bowling, and games. Broader incumbent with overlapping arcade + bar + live entertainment elements, but a wider venue concept.
Regional players
- Brewcade: Portland-based arcade bar with vintage games and craft beer focus. Directly comparable to The Archives on the games + craft draft intersection, though in a different regional market.
- Ground Control Arcade Bar: Regional arcade bar focused on retro gaming, cocktails, and pinball. Directly comparable concept but operates in a different geography (Louisville/Indianapolis).
Emerging players
- Two Bit Circus: Tech-forward immersive entertainment venue featuring retro and modern arcade games alongside a bar and event programming. Comparable games + bar model with stronger emphasis on novel tech attractions.
- Wonderville: Brooklyn-based bar with classic and indie arcade games plus craft beer and cocktails. Comparable niche positioning on vintage games + curated bar program, scaled to a single urban venue.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
The Archives social profiles
Digital presenceThe Archives financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Archives leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Archives funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Archives M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Archives
What does The Archives do?
The Archives is an arcade bar that sells on-site consumption of 24 rotating craft beer drafts, handcrafted cocktails (seasonal and archived classics), shots, and mocktails, paired with over 20 vintage arcade and pinball machines available free-to-play for patrons. The venue also hosts weekend live music events with local bands and DJs and offers licensed off-site catering services for private events.
Is The Archives a public or private company?
The Archives is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Archives founded?
The Archives was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Archives based?
The Archives is headquartered in Burlington, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Archives make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Beverage Sales are the primary driver. The others are event Catering and live Entertainment Venue.
Who are The Archives's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Up-Down, Barcade, 16-Bit Bar+Arcade and Emporium Arcade Bar. Broad incumbents are Dave & Buster's and Punch Bowl Social. Regional players are Brewcade and Ground Control Arcade Bar. Emerging players are Two Bit Circus and Wonderville.
Does The Archives have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Archives.
What industry is The Archives in?
The Archives's product category is Arcade Bar / Entertainment Venue. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFALAD, Gaming Café/Bar Hybrid Venues (Food & Beverage + Competitive Play), with a secondary code of THAFAEAG, Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms. Its NAICS code is 7224 and its SIC code is 5810.