Arcade Time Entertainment: Rebooting the Arcade

Most of you will recall the early days of the video arcade. Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Asteroids, Centipede and a myriad of pinball machines come to mind. It was a joyful part of our childhood where we would pump quarters into machines and compete against people in line right behind us for the honors of adding our initials to the machine’s high score list.

The home entertainment systems came next. Atari, Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox brought that electronic fun into our home, but we lost a sense of community in the process. No longer were you king of the whole arcade, you were just king of the house.

In recent years, nostalgia has made a big comeback, and the video arcade is being reinvented with brash and exciting new strokes. This is good news for malls, who must also reinvent themselves into entertainment centers in order to keep people coming out to shop in their retail stores. One of the leaders of the arcade comeback is Arcade Time Entertainment, a 3-year-old Florida company with big aspirations. They opened a store at The Falls on December 1 and the community response has been amazing. On any given day, a brisk crowd streams in to enjoy this new concept restaurant and arcade.

“We thought this was a fantastic location to bring our new dining and entertainment concept,” explains Arcade Time owner Jonathan Demare. “We love the demographic. We love the area. And we thought it was in need of something fun and exciting.”

Jonathan Demare, owner of Arcade Time Entertainment, in the newly opened The Falls location

“Moving forward in today’s society, malls in the USA need three main components to stay relevant,” says Demare. “Retail, dining and entertainment are crucial to success. That is what makes a mall a special destination and worth coming to.” To that end, Arcade Time ticks off two of those components.

Arcade Time has a surprisingly premium restaurant menu. Sure, you can get the whimsical burger sliders, with cartoon-bright colored buns. But you can also order Filet Mignon! What other arcade offers that? They also have a tuna poke bowl, ahi tuna salad, fettuccine alfredo and a large selection of other dishes. Don’t get me started on dessert.

“We pride ourselves on our food. We spare no expense when it comes to quality and that way we become a destination location,” says Demare. “Our presentation is over the top too.” Typically, when going to an arcade, people ask themselves ‘Do we eat before or after?’ Here the right answer is during.

The Falls location has a retro arcade in the back with dozens of pinball machines and classic gaming cabinets with all your favorites from the 80s, 90s and the early 2000s. There is a bar window with beer, wine and frozen cocktails. They also serve ice cream, floats and shakes there.

“We cater to kids and families, Millennials, Baby Boomers,” remarks Demare. “We have a diverse audience because we bring back nostalgia and mix it with the best of today’s games, including ticket redemption games.” Arcade Time even has motion simulators and virtual reality attractions. Demare says, “At Arcade Time we try to be first to market in all the newest and innovative games.”

At present, Arcade Time has additional stores in Jacksonville, Wellington and Fort Lauderdale with 39 locations opening across the country by the end of 2027. Some of those locations will have bowling, axe throwing and retro arcade bar. They scale up to 65,000 square-feet with 250-seat restaurants inside.

The arcade entertainment space is a passion and calling for Demare, a 20-year veteran of the entertainment space. “I love seeing the crowd’s reaction when they experience our entertainment and food. We give the best arcade-themed dining experience in the U.S.”

Arcade Time operates seven days a week and employs more than 40 people. Hours are 10a-midnight, except on Fridays and Saturdays when they are open until 2a. You can contact them at <arcadetimeusa.com/the-falls-mall-miami> or 786-250-3165. Parties are available by renting out a 3-hour block of time for unlimited play. At Arcade Time, fun has never tasted so good!