Taken the morning of Feb. 10, this photo shows the new arcade space looking toward the front desk. “We removed all of the temporary walls and are patching those up to prepare to paint,” Adam said. “That ugly desk will be completely replaced with something modern.” The original plan was to open this month, but renovations are taking longer. Adam’s planned opening will be April 1 –– “No joke,” he says!

Adam Pratt writes of his new location: “It’s somewhat surreal as I look to take over this old store space. I have a distinct memory as an 8-year-old standing in front of this desk when this was a Kay Bee Toy Store. (Minus the junk and the oddly placed plants.) I had to make a decision as to which two Atari 2600 games I wanted to go with the 2600 Jr. my parents were buying. They had 2,600 games all across the wall there. That console still works, which cannot be said for my first Xbox 360. (I remember picking Asteroids over Jr. Pac-Man, and I think Donkey Kong Jr. was the second pick). This was also the same year I saw Tron and started thinking about opening an arcade in the future.” Look what following your dreams can do!

Keeping it straight –– With 200+SKUs in even a small redemption presentation, a system is critical, says McAuliffe. (Photo courtesy of The Rose City Bowl).

The Rose City Bowl in New Castle, Indiana (not an example of a turnaround location as discussed in this month’s column) is a project recently completed by Pinnacle Entertainment Group. George writes that operational excellence is always a priority at this gorgeous location. (Photo courtesy of The Rose City Bowl.)

Floating money – Frank Talk 0317