Pinball mania: the ’70s return to popular Wichita bar

On weekend nights in the summer, Industry Old Town is a popular watering hole – at least at its rooftop bar.

But last weekend, a large crowd gathered inside Industry for one purpose: pinball.

The Old Town bar recently added five pinball cabinets, and crowds are beginning to flock to the bar to play.

The “pinball lounge,” as Industry managing partner Brian Arenson calls it, is perhaps the first sign of a national trend making its way to Wichita: the bar/arcade hybrid.

“Nationally, the biggest market you see growing" is the arcade bar, said James Bobetsky, a pinball enthusiast known locally as DJ Carbon. “A lot of people have so much nostalgia for it, and even as an adult now in Wichita, there’s not a single arcade to go to.

“The nostalgia factor is really appealing.”

In January, Industry started leasing a pinball machine and a “Golden Tee Golf” arcade game “as a way to fill a hole,” Arenson said.

“I was the only person who played the ‘Golden Tee’ game and everyone played the pinball machine,” he said. “Then we saw the value in that and how much fun people were having.”

As of last week, Industry now owns five pinball cabinets – each with its own distinct theme and design, from Aerosmith to “Lord of the Rings.”

The popularity of the pinball cabinets has led to Industry expanding its hours: the pinball lounge now opens at 6 p.m. every day of the week except Tuesdays.

And on Friday, the bar had even created drink specials tailored to each cabinet, such as a fruity “Orc” or an “Ecto Cooler.”

“Pinball and drinking kind of go hand in hand, so that’s good for business,” Arenson quipped, pointing out the cup holders added to each machine.

Pinball, which reached the height of its popularity in the mid-20th century, is enjoying a bit of a renaissance lately. Just last week, Wesley Children’s Hospital announced the donation of a new “Spider-Man” themed pinball machine for patients and their families to play.

“For pinball to come back now, it’s a very analog thing,” said Bobetsky, 37. “It’s not touching a screen. You hit the flipper, you feel the mechanics of it. It’s a very analog thing in our digital world and it’s a very social thing.”

Arenson said he plans on adding two more pinball cabinets at Industry, though he probably won’t add other arcade games anytime soon.

“I kind of like being a pinball lounge,” said Arenson, who didn’t play pinball until about a year ago. “I’m just obsessive about everything I do, so I got one (cabinet) and I wanted more.

“Now it’s about all I do – play pinball and run the bar here.”

This story was originally published July 19, 2017 at 4:56 PM with the headline "Pinball mania: the ’70s return to popular Wichita bar."