The City Forum
“Tennesee’s Largest Indoor FEC” Keeps Adding Fun to the Mix
by Dustin Wilcox
Clarksville, Tennessee, is a place where big things are happening – and that most definitely includes growth in amusements going into the new year.
Jon Armistead and his father-in-law did a bunch of research before opening The City Forum, a process that continues in order to keep the mix of games and attractions fresh, fun and exciting for customers.
The City Forum family entertainment center has been serving the Clarksville community for the past seven years. And with arcade games, go-karts, bowling, mini-golf and laser tag, this place is practically the whole shebang. Owner Jon Armistead loves it all equally, but he’s especially proud of doubling the game count in the arcade.
“Our team has been able to keep it clean and in good shape,” he said. “We’ve seen a ton of wear and tear, but we’ve been able to maintain everything to where it doesn’t look like we’ve been open for that long.”
Customers appreciate The City Forum, too, including the newly added drop tower but especially the indoor go-karts. The latter’s positioning inevitably takes them through every other attraction along the way.
It took a ton of research to get to this point. Before construction even started, Armistead’s father-in-law hit up all the big industry conferences, IAAPA among them, to see what attractions would best ensure success in the northwest Tennessee market. Traveling to locations where certain products were already in operation (to see them in action) was also crucial at that time.
“Really, it came down to what we could afford when we first opened,” Armistead said. “And then as we’ve grown, we’ve made some switches in some areas where, if we’d had the money when we’d first opened, we would’ve done this instead of what we went with because of a cost-saving perspective there.”
This research process has continued well past opening day in 2018, as Armistead and his team still meet with vendors prior to any purchase. In fact, vendors now send new customers to The City Forum to gather advice on their own purchases.
Keeping guests happy is not just about attractions, though. Armistead pitches The City Forum to Clarksville residents as a place where the entire family can have a good time. Those who can’t afford trips to Disney World or Gatlinburg may very well spend their vacation dollars at their local FEC, meaning a quality guest experience is absolutely paramount to success.
Sharing their customer-centric ethos with their team members, Armistead said, “We always preach to treat our customers like family. It’s not ownership that pay the checks – it’s our customers. Our name might be on your paystub, but without our customers who are coming through those doors, we wouldn’t be able to pay you.”
All the goodwill that The City Forum has built up over the years may soon come in handy due to a recent curveball: competition from Dave & Buster’s, which opened at the Governor’s Square Mall, less that 10 miles away, in November.
“I was very shocked when they announced that they were moving into our market,” he said. “I can’t say that I don’t understand it. Clarksville is a growing market.”
Previously being a Dave & Buster’s shareholder, starting post-Covid, Armistead had witnessed Dave & Buster’s proper shift toward a more adult audience, whereas acquisition Main Event became the more family-friendly option. In this way, The City Forum remains somewhat distinct from the new entertainment center in town.
“We’ll be hitting hard in 2025 on the fact that we have bowling, mini-golf, laser tag, drop tower, go-karts, duckpin bowling, pinball machines, and all that kind of stuff,” Armistead said. “Pinball machines aren’t something you’re going to get at Dave & Buster’s.”
The City Forum had already been positioning itself for growth as far back as November 2023, when the team had purchased both a roller coaster and a drop tower. Hearing in early 2024 that a rival chain was on the way to the community simply rendered those purchases more necessary than ever.
“We have so much more to offer – and space,” Armistead said. “People don’t feel like they’re walking on top of each other while they’re at our facility. Even though it is busy, you’re able to feel like, ‘Oh, I’ve got some room to work with here,’ instead of being shoulder to shoulder with everybody.”
Despite any challenges Dave & Buster’s may pose, Armistead is still excited for the future: Augmented/ mixed reality attractions caught his eye at the latest IAAPA show.
“That more interactive attraction – a floor game that you play with other people – is really cool,” Armistead said. “You’re sort of in the attraction.”
Plus, with two former tenants leaving The City Forum space, the company now has 30,000 extra square feet at its disposal. The biggest new addition will be the Twist-N-Shout roller coaster from SBF, though the merry-go-round, soft play structure, and a host of kid-oriented arcade games will also make their way over.
“That’ll put us close to 150,000 square feet, all indoor, so we’re super pumped about that,” Armistead said.
