By Jordan Green
BAY CITY — Stepping into Crazy Quarters Arcade at 521 Washington Ave. is like stepping into a blast from the past as neon lights and techno sound effects engulf you in the simple days of arcades.
Families from all over Bay City came to celebrate the grand opening on Saturday, Feb. 8, leaving zero machines unattended throughout the day.
Co-owners Jeff Palmer, Brentt Brunner and Chris Exo say they got the idea from their love of arcade games, personal home collections and their years spent in service and repair. The co-owners say they buy most of the games from Facebook groups, Craigslist and nearly abandoned buildings from vendors.
Brunner says the business has been invited to join the Downtown Management Board and will be added to their events calendar. He also says the arcade room will host future pinball tournaments.
“We want it to be an experience for them [families],” says Brunner. “We want them to walk away excited to play games again.”
Palmer says the arcade won’t feature any redemption games. The owners want their guests to play for the love of the game, not for prizes.
“We want to deliver an experience — something people can do away from their phones,” says Palmer. “Something that brings people together for a commonality of a fun, childhood experience.”
Exo says they’re hoping for the atmosphere of the acade to be family friendly and for it to be the next spot for entertainment in the city.
“We can bridge a generation gap by something the old generation remembers doing, that has since been lost,” Exo comments. “There has been a resurgence [of arcades] that they can hopefully bring their kids to.”
The arcade features games from 1959 to 2020. If, by chance, your favorite game is missing from the collection, the owners will be glad to listen to any input from the community to help bring in regulars. Crazy Quarters is also hoping to do a “game of the month” where they’ll rotate other arcade games into the collection for a month to give the arcade an endless variety.
The price for the arcade games is 50 cents to $1 for each round.
Their business hours are Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m., Friday from 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.
