The Waverly Bowl Inn is expanding its entertainment options with an extensive arcade that is opening this week.
Owner Zach Beschorner met with Waverly Newspapers shortly after delivery of 18 new games Tuesday, to supplement the six-or-so arcade games already in the business.
Beschorner is a partner in Waterloo bowling alleys Cadillac Lanes and Maple Lanes.
“We have a pretty good game room in Waterloo,†he said.
That success is what prompted him to add the games to the Waverly bowling alley.
“I have experience with it in Waterloo,†he said. “It’s really made the difference for us down there.â€
He said that kids love the games, and the business can book more parties with the arcade as an option.
The games look like classic arcade games and include vintage names—Pac-Man, Astroid, Donkey Kong, Skee-Ball, something like Whack-a-mole—but also include newer offerings, such as Angry Birds.
Unlike old-school arcades, there’s not a coin slot in sight. Instead, players load credit onto a card that they slide or tap at the different games, like a credit card. As they use their card, they’ll earn points that can be used to select a prize.
“You come over here, you scan your card, and you get a prize,†Beschorner explained.
As of Tuesday morning, he didn’t know yet what the prizes would be.
Current hours for bowling or the arcade are Monday-Thursday, 5-9 p.m., Friday, 5-10 p.m., Saturday, noon-10 p.m. and Sunday, noon-6 p.m.
“We’re probably going to expand those,†Beschorner said. “This should bring a lot of foot traffic in.â€
If business increases as much as expected, even more games could be coming.
“I think that this will probably be phase one,†Beschorner said. “If it works, we’ll probably make it bigger at some point.â€
Justin O’Brien, manager of the Waverly Bowl Inn, was looking forward to the arcade being open.
“It’s going to be awesome,†he said. “It’s going to be a game changer. There’s nothing like this in the area.â€
