Emporium Arcade Bar

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.

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

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

• Arcade entertainment venue
• Craft cocktail bar
• Private event hosting
• Pinball machines
• Gaming tournaments

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: Bar sales including craft cocktails, local brews, and draft beers. Craft cocktail program with signature drinks.
2. Arcade Gameplay: Token-based arcade play for classic arcade cabinets and pinball machines. Players purchase tokens to operate machines.
3. 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.
4. 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%).
5. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EventbritecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEventbrite 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 AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBay Area's longest-running professional wrestling company hosts annual DEVIL'S NIGHT event at Emporium San Francisco, celebrating its 19th annual Halloween tradition.
• Freelance WrestlingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLive wrestling events hosted at Emporium Logan Square featuring INJUSTICE and other wrestling programming, with VIP ticket packages including Emporium tokens.
• Wrestling FriendscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular 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 DrinkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial JEOPARDY! Bar League provider running trivia nights on Tuesdays across Emporium locations, free to enter with prizes for winners.
• Jim BeamminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpirits brand sponsoring Freelance Wrestling events at Emporium.
• HornitosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpirits brand sponsoring Freelance Wrestling events at Emporium.
• Don JuliominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresented FIFA World Cup watch party at Emporium San Francisco with exclusive drink specials including limited edition mini FIFA bottles of 1942.
• New Belgium BreweryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeer sponsor for Trabajando Volume 5 skate video premiere event with beer specials.
• Bell BreweryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeer sponsor for Trabajando Volume 5 skate video premiere event with beer specials.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/emporiumarcadebar
• Instagraminstagram.com/emporiumarcadebar

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 Emporium Arcade Bar