OPERATOR OF THE '80s
Arnold Kaye of Westport, CT
•
A very lavish amusement center, owned
and operated by Mr. Arnold Kaye, just
opened in the affluent area of Westport,
Connecticut. "It's one of the finest ar-
cades in the nation;' says Kaye. The ex-
terior of Arnie's Place is covered with
chocolate brown high-gloss tiles which
give it immediate visibility, even though
it's situated on a full two acres of land.
On the inside the burgundy carpet is ac-
centuated by a unique assortment of
brass fixtures. Even the track lighting,
ceiling and planters are brass. In addition
to the magnificent track lighting, an eight-
foot skylight lends its own impact in keep-
ing Arnie's Place well lit.
''We built the amusement center with a
teen-age clientele in mind, and we've
found that they are very respectful of the
establishment and treat it accordingly.
Because of the lavishness of the center,
though, we seem to have encouraged
more adults. Most of our clients are over
twenty-four years of age;' Kaye says.
There are fifty video games at Arnie's
Place, and each game is ingeniously set
back in a booth made of laminated but-
cher block and oxidized brass. Each
player with his game is set apart from his
neighbor by the semi-enclosure.
The arcade has a lounge area with
seats; however, there is not a food
counter. Besides the video games there is
an area of foosball and air hockey.
Arnold Kaye is no stranger to the game
industry. Before opening his location, he
owned Irving Kaye Co., which is now
Kaye Industries, a division of U.S.
Billiards in Long Island which makes air
hockey, foosball, and some video games.
Kaye did encounter some difficulties in
acquiring his license for an amusement
center in Westport. After twenty-six hours
of hearings and enlisting the support of
some town officials as well as police
chiefs from surrounding areas, the
license was granted. It was a major
breakthrough for the video industry and
created quite a bit of publicity. In fact, it
was the first case to be televised in the
state of Connecticut.
Kaye's priorities for this establishment
focus upon maintaining concerned man-
agement, long-term promotions, and the
clear image of his arcade as a business.
"We put a large investment into our ar-
cade and consider ourselves an institu-
tion in the community. We run long-term
promotions and work at being an asset to
the town'.' Kaye has held community ser-
vice functions for the handicapped,
Cerebral Palsy and Easter Seals.
"It is very important that people feel
comfortable and secure coming into our
arcade. Concerned parents have visited
Arnie's Place and gone away with a con-
t ident feeling about where their children
spend their time'.'
"We have one attendant for every bank
of twelve machines as well as people in
the change booth. At all times there are
five uniformed male attendants inside in
addition to three uniformed off-duty police
officers to direct traffic'.'
The sound business practices of Arnold
Kaye and his strict policy regarding
supervision make Arnie's Place distinc-
tive in the industry.
Promotion
for Profit
High Scores
Thank you for the many high scores you
all have sent in during the past year. We
have had an overwhelming response to
the Atari Official High Score Program, but
are delighted to keep track of your ever-
increasing points! We would like to con-
tinue awarding high score certificates in
honor of your achievements and, begin-
ning in January of 1983, we will be send-
ing a new Atari Collector pin along with
the certificate. If you achieve a record
score on an ATARI game, please send
your name, age, points scored on which
game, arcade location, arcade validation,
and phone number on a 3x5 card to Linda
Summers, Atari, Inc., 790 Sycamore
Drive, Milpitas, CA 95035. Good luck in
the upcoming year!
The new year opens up a particularly
satisfying opportunity to express your ap-
preciation of continued player patronage.
In this case, you'll want to "ring in the
old as well as the new'.' Send a personal
"thank you" card to each member on
your mailing list with an enclosed coupon
good for free games ... perhaps specify-
ing and encouraging play on those newly
acquired games for 1983. You might also
develop a "buddy system" promotion if
you have a membership club which
could run the full length of the year. The
player credited with bringing in the most
new members by the end of 1983 could
be awarded with a substantial cash or
product award.
The first New Year's resolution on your
own list should be to seriously work out a
detailed promotional budget, including
both the advertising and public relations
aspects. The new year often signals the
tightening of the proverbial belt, but leave
a notch open for "incentivizing" your
business ... it will pay off in the end. An
effective way to spread the word is the
distribution of monthly calendars to your
player clientele showing all promotional
events planned for that period. A stan-
dard calendar format could be used for
the direct mailing piece ... add a touch
of artistic design so that a player will
want to hang it up on a bedroom wall or
locker for ready reference throughout the
month. Make sure you post several
copies throughout your game room·, too.
Commit yourself to promotion for 1983,
and just watch the players and profits it
will pump through your portals.