Life Bar Arcade was created as a result of a deep love for gaming and as a way to honor a dear friend. We offer an escape to the 80s, 90s, and 00s. It’s a world where the nostalgia of unlimited arcade games and pinball machines is just a flat entrance fee away.

Life Bar Arcade offers something for everyone, whether you’re looking to play throwback games, grab a bite, enjoy a cocktail, kick back with a cold beer, listen to live music, or participate in themed nights, tournaments, and trivia.

Like many of my generation, I grew up with video games as a constant companion. I was incredibly lucky to have had a Discs of Tron prototype arcade machine in my house from before I could spell, but it was obsolete and “uncool” by the time I was old enough to want my own Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Still, it remains an advanced, rare gem to this day.

When I was a preteen, I met my oldest, closest friend, Allen, and we quickly bonded over our love of games and cyberpunk. He introduced me to anime, gymnastics, K-pop (in the 90s!), and more, and he was always pushing the envelope in food and fashion.

The world lost Allen in 2019, and to say it was paradigm-shifting would be an understatement. I endeavored to honor his memory the best way I could, and knew a retro arcade with game consoles would be something he’d be proud of. Baking it into a bar/restaurant seemed like a logical extension, but I knew I would need more experience, since I had never worked in a bar before.

I trained to be a bartender and worked “behind the stick” for a while to learn what makes a good bar tick, honing my recipes and my appreciation for all of the hard workers in the service industry.

At the same time, I leaned in hard to my hobby of fixing electronics, games consoles, and computers, working to further develop an appreciation and understanding of how old technology functions. The 8-Bit Guy YouTube channel was a primary inspiration and helped my father and me bond over repairing 80s-90s computers and consoles, including those made by Commodore, Atari, NEC, Nintendo, Sega, Sony, and more.

Soon, we acquired Gauntlet II (1986) and Galaga (1981) cocktail table arcades, then many more, with our love of Allen concentrated into restoring and keeping history out of landfills and into the hands of appreciative gamers.

Building “Life Bar Arcade” the right way has been a marathon journey taking 6+ years, but through it, we hope that Allen’s memory spreads and inspires everyone it reaches. Reflect on what’s important in life, and pursue it wholeheartedly, as sometimes we run out quarters before we can press “continue”.

“Game and let game”

– Peter