Jack Mullinax stands in front of S crooges, a neighborhood
bar he co-owns in suburban north A tlanta.
Beleaguered bars calling
on coin-op help
By Mike Shaw
M any coin-operated amusement
people are fond of saying "the jukebox
is the backbone of the industry"- ad
nauseam . Like most trite sayings, the
phrase is so commonly used because
it has seemed so true for so long. But
also like most trite sayings, it is shal·
low, lacking an explanation of why the
jukebox historically has been the
industry's most prevalent piece.
From a different perspective, it
could be said that the bar is the back·
bone of the coin·op industry, and the
jukebox has achieved its status only
because no bar would offer a drink
without a little musical background .
The argument could be extended-
perhaps music is the backbone of the
bar industry- but the point is that it is
important how coin·op equipment is
perceived by the coin·op industry's
most traditional customer, the bar
industry .
14
Soc ial c ontributions
Scrooges, a neighborhood tavern
in a rapidly growing suburban area
north of Atlanta , features down-home
friendliness, live music and a great
two-pork-chop lunch . Surrounded by
"fern" bars that serve light beers and
blended fruit drinks to a procession of
single yuppies, Scrooges has remained
determined to succeed by catering to
a less frenetic group of primarily blue·
collar customers. Its owners, two
young Atlanta entrepreneurs who
operated an arcade during the years of
the video boom , say they rely a great
deal on coin-operated entertainment
to help establish a friendly and relax·
ing atmosphere .
"The games bring in only a small
percentage of our earnings, but they
help us keep customers and make
friends ," said co-owner Jack Mullinax.
"Often a customer who comes in by
himself will order a drink and then put
a quarter in a game. Soon he'll be talk·
ing with someone playing next to him
or with someone who is standing or
sea ted close to the game . He'll tend to
stick around for a while and get com-
fortable here , whereas if it weren't for
the games, he'd be a lot more likely to
have his beer and leave."
Scrooges offers a row of five or so
pinball machines and upright videos
against the wall at its entrance, as well
as three or four countertop games
around an island bar. In the back of
the room is a shuffleboard and, of
course, the ever-present jukebox.
Even though the games bring a profit
of about $1 ,000 a month for Scrooges,
Mullinax insisted they are more
important for their social contribu-
tions .
"The machines serve to create
act ivity in different areas of the bar,"
PLAY METER. November 15, 1985