Up-Down Arcade Bar

What Up-Down Arcade Bar does

Up-Down Arcade Bar operates a multi-location chain of 21+ retro arcade bar venues across eight U.S. cities: Des Moines (IA), Kansas City (MO), Milwaukee (WI), Minneapolis (MN), Nashville (TN), Oklahoma City (OK), St. Louis (MO), and Birmingham (AL). Each location functions as a combined bar and arcade, offering 50–80+ authentic 1980s/1990s arcade cabinets, pinball machines, Skee-Ball alleys, Nintendo 64/GameCube/Sega console stations, and life-size games (Jenga, Connect Four). The technical footprint is hardware-centric rather than software-centric: classic arcade and pinball machines are the core asset, with off-the-shelf SaaS (Toast Tab for online pizza ordering, BeerMenus for digital drink menus, Shopify for merchandise e-commerce) handling back-of-house and digital commerce. There is no proprietary software, mobile app, or AI/ML capability disclosed. The customer base is consumer (adults 21+), with secondary segments including families during monthly designated family hours and private event planners booking corporate, birthday, bachelor/bachelorette, holiday, and team-building events.

The business generates revenue across four streams: usage-based arcade play (all games priced at $0.25 per play), transaction-based food and beverage (house-made 18-inch pizza, craft beer, cocktails, and location-specific drink specials), transaction-based event venue rental (ranging from reserved tables to full buyouts), and a smaller transaction-based merchandise line (t-shirts, hoodies, beanies, tank tops priced $20–$35) sold through a Shopify storefront at shop.updownarcadebar.com. Pricing is uniformly per-transaction — no membership or subscription fees gate core play — though a free VIP program offers exclusive specials and early event access. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via walk-in traffic and online merchandise, supplemented by an event-driven motion targeting corporate and group bookings at each location. Marketing relies on the corporate website (updownarcadebar.com), organic social media, an email newsletter, tournaments (e.g., Milwaukee Skee-Ball Tournament), and the VIP/loyalty program. There are no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investors; the company appears to be privately held and bootstrapped to its current 8-location footprint.

Name

Up-Down Arcade Bar

Legal name

Up-Down Arcade Bar

Website

https://updownarcadebar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Up-Down Arcade Bar operates a chain of eight 21+ retro arcade bar venues across the U.S. Midwest and Southeast, offering classic 1980s/1990s arcade games at $0.25 per play, alongside craft drinks, house-made pizza, private events, and branded merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arcade Bar Entertainment

NAICS

Amusement Arcades (713120), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Gaming Café/Bar Hybrid Venues (Food & Beverage + Competitive Play) (MPAFALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coin-Operated Entertainment (Pinball, Crane/Claw, Jukebox, Darts/Billiards) (MPAEAJAF), Bars & Pubs (Non-Music) (MPAGAIAC), Neighborhood Bars & Taverns (CRANACAA)

Keywords

• Arcade bar entertainment
• Retro gaming venue
• Craft beer bar
• Private event hosting
• Branded merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Arcade Gaming Revenue: All arcade games cost 25 cents to play. Games include classic arcade cabinets, pinball machines, and Skee-Ball. Token-based pricing model with various specials like 2-for-1 tokens and 10-cent token nights.
2. Food and Beverage Sales: Extensive craft beer selection, bottles and cans, cocktails, and house-made pizza. Pizza is made to order, 18 inches, feeds 3-5 people. Various drink specials including happy hours and location-specific beers.
3. Merchandise Sales: Branded merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, beanies, and tank tops sold through online storefront at shop.updownarcadebar.com. Products range from $20-$35.
4. Event Venue Rental: Private event bookings including corporate events, birthday parties, bachelor/bachelorette parties, holiday parties, team building, and wedding events. Locations can accommodate small groups to full venue buyouts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Up-Down Arcade Bar operates a chain of retro arcade bar venues across eight U.S. cities, providing pay-per-play access to 50–80+ classic 1980s and 1990s arcade cabinets and pinball machines (all at 25 cents per game), Skee-Ball alleys, Nintendo 64 and GameCube console gaming, and life-size board games, alongside craft beer, cocktails, house-made pizza, and private event hosting. The company also sells branded apparel through an online Shopify storefront and operates a VIP membership program.

Product overview

Up-Down Arcade Bar is a chain of retro arcade bar venues offering classic gaming entertainment across 8 U.S. cities. The core product is an arcade gaming experience featuring over 50-80 classic arcade games from the 80s and 90s, pinball machines, classic skee-ball alleys, and console gaming (Nintendo 64, GameCube, Sega). All games cost 25 cents. The company operates as a unified venue concept with consistent offerings across locations, supplemented by food service (house-made pizza), craft beer and cocktails, event planning services for private parties, and VIP membership. Merchandise including apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, tank tops, beanies) is sold through an integrated Shopify e-commerce store. The business operates on a multi-location model with each city offering its own daily specials while maintaining the same core entertainment product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Up-Down Merch: Merchandise e-commerce store selling branded apparel including t-shirts, hoodies, beanies, and accessories

Products and services

• Arcade Gaming Experience The core entertainment offering at every Up-Down Arcade Bar location: access to 50–80+ classic arcade games and pinball machines from the 1980s and 1990s, Skee-Ball alleys, Nintendo 64 and GameCube console stations, and life-size Jenga and Connect Four. All games cost 25 cents per play, and guests purchase tokens or pay directly. Target audience is adults 21+ seeking nostalgic social entertainment.
• Food and Beverage Service In-venue food and beverage service featuring house-made 18-inch pizza (with by-the-slice pricing at $2 until 8 PM on select days), an extensive craft beer selection, cocktails, and location-specific drink specials such as happy hours and signature beers. Available to walk-in guests at every Up-Down location, with online ordering for pizza via Toast Tab at select venues.
• Private Event Hosting Event planning services for private parties and corporate events at each Up-Down location. Options range from small reserved tables to full venue buyouts and include team-building experiences, birthday parties, bachelor/bachelorette parties, holiday celebrations, and wedding events. Coordinated through dedicated "Plan an Event" pages on the Up-Down website.
• VIP Membership Program Loyalty program for frequent Up-Down patrons providing exclusive benefits, member-only specials, and early access to events and promotions across all Up-Down Arcade Bar locations.
• Branded Apparel and Accessories Online merchandise store selling branded Up-Down apparel and accessories, including t-shirts, baseball tees, tank tops, pullover and zip-up hoodies, beanies, and limited-edition designs such as the Arcade Frog Tee. Prices range from $20 to $35, and orders ship within 1–3 business days via USPS First Class.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DCR (Parking Services)minorOthersDCR provides parking in their lot between 3:00PM – 3:00AM Monday – Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday at the Nashville location. Overnight parking is not allowed. Violators will be towed at own expense.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Headquarters Beercade: Midwest-based arcade bar chain pairing classic arcade games with craft beer. Highly comparable to Up-Down on regional footprint, retro arcade focus, and adult-skewing bar experience.
• Barcade: Pioneering retro arcade bar chain combining classic arcade and pinball machines with full bar service. Most directly comparable to Up-Down in concept (nostalgic games + alcohol) and in physical venue format.
• Punch Bowl Social: Multi-location experiential dining and entertainment venue combining games (bowling, ping pong, arcade) with bar/restaurant service. Comparable to Up-Down on the experiential 'eatertainment' venue model and private event focus.
• Emporium Arcade Bar: Multi-location arcade bar featuring classic pinball and arcade games alongside a full bar and food menu. Closely comparable to Up-Down on hybrid venue format and adult-skewing entertainment positioning.
• Player 1 Video Game Bar: Independent arcade bar concept centered on classic video games and console gaming with a full bar. Closely aligned with Up-Down's emphasis on retro console gaming (N64, Sega) and adult-only entertainment format.
• Free Play Arcade: Multi-location arcade bar offering classic pinball, video games, and console gaming alongside a full bar. Closely comparable to Up-Down on retro/console game curation and adult entertainment format.
• 16-Bit Bar+Arcade: Regional arcade bar chain offering classic and modern arcade games with craft cocktails and bar food. Directly comparable to Up-Down on game-first/bar-second format and multi-market expansion strategy.

Emerging players

• Nerd Bar: Independent arcade-and-gaming bar concept focused on retro and modern games with craft cocktails. Comparable to Up-Down on hybrid game/bar format and adult-only positioning, but operates at single-venue scale.

Broad incumbents

• Main Event Entertainment: National family entertainment center chain combining bowling, laser tag, billiards, karaoke, and a large arcade with food and beverage. Comparable to Up-Down on multi-attraction venue model and event hosting, though broader and family-targeted.
• Dave & Buster's: Large publicly-traded eatertainment incumbent with hundreds of arcade and amusement venues nationwide. Comparable to Up-Down on the arcade+bar+events value proposition but at vastly larger scale and broader demographic targeting.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Up-Down-Arcade-Bar-61557537560783
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/up-down-arcade-bar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Up-Down Arcade Bar