“At the time the building became available, I had just opened Wine Dive, was opening Wolf & Co. and I didn’t have time to do anything else,” Deagan says. “But now that those places are up and running, I can concentrate on this.”
“This” is a new business that Deagan and partner Andrea Tsiros are opening in the former Deagan’s space in Lakewood. The as-yet-unnamed venture will be a lively bar filled with classic and modern arcade games, pinball machines, Skee-Ball, billiards and tabletop games like air hockey and foosball. Expect leagues to form around various games.
Deagan says that based on the success of his former neighbor 16-Bit, he thinks the concept is a slam dunk.
“16-Bit was a block away and they were busy all the time,” he says. “My entire staff would go there after work. The only reason they closed the Lakewood location was because they were opening Pins Mechanical in Ohio City and they wanted everything under one roof.”
Changes to the property largely will be aimed at creating space. All the booths and most of the tables throughout are being removed. The 36-seat bar stays and will be joined by some high-top tables.
The food will be of the sort that can be enjoyed standing up, with items like wings and pizza topping the list. Deagan will be reviving the “happy bowls” that he used to serve from the bar at Have a Nice Day Cafe in the Flats. Those fishbowl-size cocktails will be joined by craft beer, cocktails, mocktails and CBD drinks.
While 16-Bit set most games to “free play,” Deagan’s games will be under the management of a third-party company. That decision will translate to cheaper drinks, says Deagan, along with more frequent turnover of games.
Look for the new entertainment destination to open in early April.
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