Operators of the Eighties
August Profile: Dan Zelinsky, San Francisco, Califomia
Musee Mecanique is the name of a
company with a unique and in-
teresting operating profile. Not only
are the company's locations excep-
tional, but their mix of coin-
operated equipment would be hard
to find anywhere else in the world.
Dan Zelinsky manages the Musee
Mecanique arcade in the renowned
Cliff House which has been a San
Francisco landmark since 1897.
The Cliff House is recognized as a
national recreation site and is one of
the city's favorite tourist attrac-
tions. In a one-week period, Dan
estimates between 50,000 and
70,000 tourists as well as local
residents visit his location.
,,.
Dan's father, Ed, founded Musee
Mecanique and the company cur-
rently operates three high-traffic
locations in San Francisco. Ed
Zelinsky has been a collector of an-
tique coin-operated games and
musical instruments for 40 years.
His collection includes some of the
world's most nostalgic types of
coin-operated equipment.
In the Cliff House location, the
'mechanical museum' mixes the old
with the new. . . there are 70 coin-
operated musical antiques and ap-
proximately 40 new electronic
games. This rare mix offers
something for everybody. Above the
/
/
arcade museum are two popular
restaurants and bars. Visitors can
easily enjoy the entertainment
downstairs while waiting to be
seated upstairs.
The high traffic level at this loca-
tion demands conscientious man-
agement. Dan refers to himself as
an "all-around arcade attendant
who does everything from manag-
ing to making change to tuning
pianos and servicing games'' . ''By
the way,'' Dan noted, ''I wear roller
skates while working to help get to
Promotions
for Profits
•
New
''Profit Power''
Idea Book Available
''Profit Power'', a new promo-
tions idea booklet, is now available
to operators from Atari. The booklet
is packed with useful, imaginative
ideas that are easy to implement.
The booklet is ideal for large and
small game operators. It ·contains
ideas ranging from simple promo-
tional ideas to large scale tour-
naments, as well as terms and pro-
cedures for local area advertising
and public relations programs.
Over a year in the making, ''Profit
Power" is a handbook of ideas
gathered from operators through-
out the world who have used them
successfully. There are also original
concepts designed to increase oper-
ator's potential profit in street loca-
tions, game centers, amusement
parks, anywhere games are played.
This useful "how-to" booklet is a
must item for any operator. They
can be ordered from your Atari
Distributor while supplies last.
An t./1.Sy 10 USf' ~ p.xk('(I \li.i l h lo(;,tlotHt'Sted
p r ~ ideas tha1 c.o.n up your p,ro61 p()l,I,~ .
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everything that needs to be done!"
One of Dan's priorities is to keep
the games in top condition. Also,
current games are consistently add-
ed to the mix of games, which in-
cludes 30 videos and 8 pinballs. Dan
also commented that the earnings
from the games pay for the servic-
ing of the antique instruments.
In commenting about the future
outlook of the business, Dan said,
''When I first started working here
eight years ago, there was no
restaurant here, just the museum
with 60 antique instruments. This
was before PONG® was around.
Since then, business has been get-
ting better all the time. Now we
have all the best games and more
people are playing the games.''
Ed Zelinsky is still collecting anti-
ques and he hopes to expand into
new locations in the future. He
plans to continue mixing nostalgia
with modern day technology.
If you're ever visiting San Fran-
cisco, the Musee Mecanique would
be a place well worth remembering.
6~~1.'..'. '
Arcade & Street Locations
Don't rely solely on word-of-
mouth to spread the news of the in-
troduction of a new game to your
location. The addition of a new game
to your arcade or street location is a
great time for a promotion.
For instance, when you order
your new MISSILE COMMA.ND™
game, put up posters and signs in-
side and outside of your location an-
nouncing ''MISSILE COMMAND IS
COMING!" This will stimulate your
clientele' s interest even before you
receive your MISSILE COMMAND
game. When the game arrives, put
up signs that read "MISSILE COM-
MAND IS HERE!" "MISSILE COM-
MAND IS HERE'' posters are avail-
able through your local distributor
or from Atari.
Draw players into your location
by placing an ad in the entertain-
ment section of local newspapers. A
coupon for a free game of MISSILE
COMMAND can be included as part
of the ad. (This may also lessen in-
itial player resistance to the 50¢
price.) Free plays usually encourage
players to deposit additional coins
into the featured game or other
games in the location.