ALLEGAN — The Regent Arcade hasn't been around nearly as long as The Regent Theatre, but it's making a name for itself all the same.
"It all started back in 2019," said owner Matt Adams. "The city actually owns the theater as an extension of their parks and recreation department. I have contacts that know I'm a pinball enthusiast, so they approached me with the idea of opening an arcade in the back."
The arcade was placed in the old changing rooms of The Regent, now over a century old.
"The space had basically become just a large storage room," Adams said. "So, that's how The Regent Arcade came about in 2019. The city would rotate staff from the theater into the arcade and a small concession stand."
It seemed the idea had paid off — until the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
"The arcade was closed, along with the theater and everything else," Adams said. "By the time things started opening back up, the city couldn't afford to staff the arcade. I didn't want to see it close, so I took over operations, along with my business partner."
For months, that's how the business functioned — Adams and his business partner working Fridays and Saturdays in addition to their own full-time jobs. But in January, another curveball came.
"The city said they wanted to rent the space to another business," Adams said. "We lost our location. We sought out a new space, and we eventually landed on Locust Street, basically right around the corner in a space three times bigger."
The storefront at 128 Locust St. was zoned for retail sales, giving Adams an opportunity to expand.
"We'd previously sold a few of our games, but it wasn't part of our business," he said. "We still have the gaming side, where people come in and play. But we also have barstools and mini-fridges and supplies for game rooms."
From a foot traffic standpoint, the new location is a vast improvement.
"We've seen about a 40 percent increase this month compared to our previous averages," Adams said. "We're running tournaments, we've added a couple of new machines."
That includes "multicade" machines — one with 60 classic games and another with 750 (although Adams has limited access to 175 to streamline game selection.)
"We've also added what's called a projector-cade with 12 different games that project onto the wall," he said. "We have that setup for free play, and we offer it for sale."