Emporium Arcade Bar
Emporium Arcade Bar operates five 21+ entertainment venues across Chicago, San Francisco, and New Orleans, combining 40+ vintage arcade cabinets and pinball machines with craft cocktails, a kitchen, private events, and recurring tournament and watch-party programming.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersNew Orleans, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Emporium Arcade Bar does
Emporium Arcade Bar operates a chain of five entertainment venues that combine a curated selection of 40+ vintage arcade cabinets and pinball machines with a full bar program (craft cocktails, beer, spirits) and a kitchen. The venues are concentrated in Chicago (three locations in Wicker Park, Logan Square, and Fulton Market), with single locations in San Francisco and New Orleans. The format targets adults aged 21+ seeking a nostalgic, gaming-forward nightlife experience, and is positioned as an alternative to conventional bars and large-format entertainment chains such as Dave & Buster's.
The core product is the physical venue itself — there is no proprietary technology platform, mobile app, or software layer of note. The arcade inventory is consumer off-the-shelf and refurbished hardware. Recurring programming — tournaments, watch parties, trivia nights, and branded activations — is layered onto the venue experience to drive mid-week utilization and repeat visitation.
The business model is multi-stream: food and beverage sales, token-based arcade gameplay, private event and corporate function rentals, tournament entry fees, and revenue from sponsored brand events with spirits, beer, and entertainment partners. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, investors, or financial filings. A ten-year operating milestone was marked in 2024, indicating sustained operations within a high-failure-rate segment.
Emporium Arcade Bar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Emporium Arcade Bar
- Legal name
- EMPORIUM ARCADE BAR
- Website
- https://emporiumarcadebar.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Emporium Arcade Bar operates five 21+ entertainment venues across Chicago, San Francisco, and New Orleans, combining 40+ vintage arcade cabinets and pinball machines with craft cocktails, a kitchen, private events, and recurring tournament and watch-party programming.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Emporium Arcade Bar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Arcade Bar Entertainment Venue
- NAICS
- Amusement Arcades (713120), Amusement Arcades (71312), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241)
- 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
- Cocktail Bars & Lounges (CRANACAD), Sports Bars (CRANACAC), Coin-Operated Entertainment (Pinball, Crane/Claw, Jukebox, Darts/Billiards) (MPAEAJAF), Internet Cafes & Gaming Cafes (THAFADAI)
Keywords
Where Emporium Arcade Bar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New Orleans
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Emporium Arcade Bar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Food and Beverage Sales: Bar sales including craft cocktails, local brews, and draft beers. Craft cocktail program with signature drinks.
- Arcade Gameplay: Token-based arcade play for classic arcade cabinets and pinball machines. Players purchase tokens to operate machines.
- Event Space Rental: Private party spaces rented for corporate events, birthday parties, team building, and group bookings. Revenue from venue reservations and minimum spend requirements.
- Tournament Entry Fees: Gaming tournaments with buy-ins (e.g., $10 for Tekken 8, Street Fighter tournaments) with prize pools distributed to top finishers (70%/20%/10%).
- Event Tickets: Ticketed events including wrestling shows (Underground Wrestling Alliance, Freelance Wrestling), with General Admission ($20) and VIP ($40) pricing tiers including perks.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gaming Tournament Entry |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wrestling Event Tickets |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Case of the Mondays Special |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Emporium Arcade Bar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Emporium Arcade Bar operates walk-in entertainment venues combining vintage and modern arcade gaming (40+ arcade cabinets and pinball machines per location, maintained daily by expert technicians) with a full craft cocktail bar, local brews, live music and DJ programming, gaming tournaments, trivia leagues, watch parties on 50-foot HD projector screens, and bookable private party spaces for corporate and group events.
Product overview
Emporium Arcade Bar operates as an entertainment venue combining vintage arcade gaming with modern nightlife. The core experience centers on a curated collection of 40+ arcade cabinets and pinball machines per location, maintained daily by expert technicians, featuring classic titles like NBA Jam, Marvel vs Capcom, Tekken, and Street Fighter alongside modern favorites. The venue pairs gaming with a full craft cocktail bar and local brews, while the events program delivers nightly live music, DJ sets, competitive gaming tournaments, trivia leagues, watch parties for major sporting events and wrestling broadcasts, and private event hosting. The company operates five locations across three cities: Chicago (Wicker Park, Logan Square, Fulton Market), San Francisco, and New Orleans.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Classic Arcade Cabinet Gameplay
- Pinball Machine Gameplay
- Multiplayer Gaming
- Gaming Tournaments
- Craft Cocktails and Local Brews
- Live Music and DJ Events Nightly live music performances, DJ sets, and themed music programming across all locations.
- Private Party and Corporate Event Spaces
- Watch Parties Large-format viewing parties on 50-foot high-definition projector screens for sports events (FIFA World Cup, NFL), wrestling broadcasts (AEW, WWE), and special programming.
- Ticketed Wrestling and Special Events Ticketed events including Underground Wrestling Alliance and Freelance Wrestling shows with General Admission ($20) and VIP ($40) tiers; tickets sold via Eventbrite.
- Recurring Themed Nights (Trivia, Bingo, Karaoke) Regular recurring events including JEOPARDY! Bar League (with Geeks Who Drink), Movie Bingo and Music Bingo (with Whaddyaknow), and weekly karaoke nights.
Companies that use Emporium Arcade Bar
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Emporium Arcade Bar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature1 record
Emporium Arcade Bar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- EventbritecoreEventbrite is used as the ticketing platform for Emporium's wrestling events and special programming. Emporium links to Eventbrite for ticket purchases for events like Underground Wrestling Alliance and Freelance Wrestling shows.
- Underground Wrestling AlliancecoreBay Area's longest-running professional wrestling company hosts annual DEVIL'S NIGHT event at Emporium San Francisco, celebrating its 19th annual Halloween tradition.
- Freelance WrestlingcoreLive wrestling events hosted at Emporium Logan Square featuring INJUSTICE and other wrestling programming, with VIP ticket packages including Emporium tokens.
- Wrestling FriendscoreRegular wrestling watch party series including All Elite Wednesdays and RAW is Friends events, featuring local vendors, retro video game consoles, and tournaments/trivia nights.
- Geeks Who DrinkcoreOfficial JEOPARDY! Bar League provider running trivia nights on Tuesdays across Emporium locations, free to enter with prizes for winners.
- Jim BeamminorSpirits brand sponsoring Freelance Wrestling events at Emporium.
- HornitosminorSpirits brand sponsoring Freelance Wrestling events at Emporium.
- Don JuliominorPresented FIFA World Cup watch party at Emporium San Francisco with exclusive drink specials including limited edition mini FIFA bottles of 1942.
- New Belgium BreweryminorBeer sponsor for Trabajando Volume 5 skate video premiere event with beer specials.
- Bell BreweryminorBeer sponsor for Trabajando Volume 5 skate video premiere event with beer specials.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Emporium Arcade Bar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Ground Control: Portland-based arcade bar featuring retro arcade and pinball alongside a full bar; comparable indie concept with similar curated-vintage positioning and event programming.
- Joystick Gamebar: Atlanta-based arcade bar blending classic gaming with cocktails and themed events; comparable indie arcade-bar format with strong curated-game identity.
Regional players
- The Rec Room: Canadian eatertainment venue with arcade games, bar, and live events; same hybrid concept targeting adult nightlife and group outings, though primarily Canadian geography.
Direct peers
- Barcade: Original arcade-bar hybrid with a curated collection of classic arcade and pinball machines paired with craft beer; close concept match and a recognized category originator.
- Free Play Arcade: Multi-location arcade bar combining classic and modern arcade games with a full bar and event programming; direct competitor in the indie arcade-bar category.
- Punch Bowl Social: Multi-city eatertainment venue combining games (bowling, arcade, karaoke) with craft cocktails and event programming; the closest direct conceptual analog to Emporium's arcade-bar hybrid model.
- 16-Bit Bar+Arcade: Retro arcade bar with multiple U.S. locations pairing classic video games with a full bar; overlaps directly with Emporium's curated-vintage-arcade + cocktail positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Main Event Entertainment: Family-focused eatertainment chain with bowling, arcade, laser tag, and food/beverage; competes for the same group birthday and corporate event occasions.
- Dave & Buster's: National eatertainment chain featuring arcade games, full bar, and event spaces. Competes for the same outing and corporate-event dollars but at much larger scale and with broader attraction mix.
- Bowlero: National bowling-and-entertainment chain with arcades, bars, and event bookings; competes for the same group/corporate event segment and similar nightlife occasions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Emporium Arcade Bar social profiles
Digital presenceEmporium Arcade Bar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Emporium Arcade Bar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Emporium Arcade Bar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Emporium Arcade Bar 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 Emporium Arcade Bar
What does Emporium Arcade Bar do?
Emporium Arcade Bar operates walk-in entertainment venues combining vintage and modern arcade gaming (40+ arcade cabinets and pinball machines per location, maintained daily by expert technicians) with a full craft cocktail bar, local brews, live music and DJ programming, gaming tournaments, trivia leagues, watch parties on 50-foot HD projector screens, and bookable private party spaces for corporate and group events.
Is Emporium Arcade Bar a public or private company?
Emporium Arcade Bar is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Emporium Arcade Bar founded?
Emporium Arcade Bar was founded in 2012.
Where is Emporium Arcade Bar based?
Emporium Arcade Bar is headquartered in New Orleans, United States, in the North America region.
How does Emporium Arcade Bar make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Food and Beverage Sales are the primary driver. The others are arcade Gameplay, event Space Rental, tournament Entry Fees and event Tickets.
Who are Emporium Arcade Bar's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Ground Control and Joystick Gamebar. The Rec Room is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Barcade, Free Play Arcade, Punch Bowl Social and 16-Bit Bar+Arcade. Broad incumbents are Main Event Entertainment, Dave & Buster's and Bowlero.
Does Emporium Arcade Bar have an API?
No public API is recorded for Emporium Arcade Bar.
What industry is Emporium Arcade Bar in?
Emporium Arcade Bar'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 CRANACAD, Cocktail Bars & Lounges. Its NAICS code is 713120 and its SIC code is 7900.