Atari Coin Connection

OPERATOR OF THE '80s
Brad Schiffer of Coral Gables, Florida
What does an architect specializing in the
construct of psychiatric hospitals have in
common with a designer of amusement
facilities? Plenty ... if both are embodied
in the same person. Meet Brad Schiffer
whose architecture and planning firm,
Taxis, Inc., is off iced in Miami, Florida.
After designing several game rooms for
clients, he decided to get into '1un and
games" for himself-to build and operate
his own location. The site he chose to
lease for this business venture is located
in Coral Gables, Florida, a small commun-
ity bordering on Miami with conservative,
upper-class residents.
Commission and into those of the Ar-
chitecture Review Board, Schiffer's plans
once again met resistance with every fall
of the hammerhead. Scheduled to open
in May of 1982, "Screen Gallery" did not
debut until September of that year. And lo
and behold if the City Commission's
renewal option has not come full circle.
Schiffer anticipates a relatively ''easy" ap-
proval this time because of the strong
positive image his game room has
presented to the community. In fact, he
has just recently expended $4500 for
1983's licensing fees.
Legal Legwork Prior To Start-Up
Schiffer maintains that the fascination is
not with the games per se but with the vid-
eo screen ... the medium through which
a participant can pass into an individual-
ized, "creative arts" fantasy. He holds a
high reverence for his 35 games-all coin
video-and has no intention of mixing in
Accustomed to the lengthy and expensive
zoning work involved in the establishment
of most amusement centers, Schiffer pre-
pared for the inevitable confrontations
ahead. "Anything out of the ordinary re-
quires working with the neighboring busi-
Games Displayed as Pieces of Art
by stepping up to the machine and play-
ing it himself. "If a game is not respond-
ing, the trouble may be subtle and often-
times eliminated by a simple turn of a
screw." On servicing the games, Schiffer's
best advice is: "Treat them with respect;
keep the room cool; and shut each one off
at night." He has yet to experience any ro-
tation of machines, as there is still ample
room to expand. Presently, he moves the
units around to provide a '1reshness" to
the environment. He is anxious for the
time when he will have double the num-
ber of games and program all auditing
procedures on a master computer. "It real-
ly can be a 'clean' business," he contends.
Screen Gallery opens at 4:30 p.m. so as
not to conflict with school hours. The "bi-
cycle crowd" is the first at his door. When
they go home to eat dinner, their presence
is soon replaced by the "car and university
crowd." The clientele depends upon
"who's allowed out at certain times." To en-
courage play by very young children as
well as to bring in the whole family, Schif-
fer plans to acquire correspondingly lower
age-level coin video games that are now
available on the market.
Stationing of Off-Duty Police Officer
Fosters Positive Community Rapport
I.
I
nesses, city commissions, etc.," he ex-
plains. In February of 1981, Schiffer se-
cured a copy of the "List of Uses Not Per-
mitted within the City" as determined by
Coral Gables' Division of Zoning. Opera-
tion of electronic video games or pinball
machines was not specifically denied. He
recognized this as his gate into the busi-
ness and initiated the legal procedures to
gain the City Commission's approval of his
proposed game room.
Expertly maneuvering the "ins and
outs" of the zoning battle based on his
professional experience and wending his
way through an approximate nine-month
appeal period, Schiffer was given permis-
sion to build and operate an electronic
video entertainment center within the city
limits for a test-run period of one year- at
the end of which approval would have to
be renewed. In actuality, however, he did
not "win" his case. Coin-operated video
games have been outlawed in Coral Ga-
bles, and Schiffer managed to avoid this
ban merely by an adept positioning of a
legal technicality.
Passing out of the hands of the City
any pinball. His business philosophy
demands that he "show the games off as if
each were a piece of art." Therefore, he
chose the interior design of positioning
the games as if one were perusing an art
gallery. Each player beomes an artist and
is accorded the privacy and "space" that
his craft requires. The ceiling of Screen
Gallery consists of metal acoustical
panels. Plush blue carpeting covers the
floors and walls except for the end walls
which are mirrored to present the illusion
of infinity. To complete this expansiveness,
the ceiling is tubular in design- sloping
to the center of the building. All the
lighting is indirect, as Schiffer has himself
"outlawed" the use of fluorescents in order
to eliminate glare on the video screens.
Wood trimming enhances the establish-
ment in the eyes of the fashion-oriented
community, and the exterior beckons
customers with cool shades of blue.
Earning Curves of Games Charted
For his accounting purposes, Schiffer
scrupulously charts every game. When
the earning curve begins to slope down-
ward, he can usually discover the reason
A major contributor to the good "rapport"
that has developed between players,
game room attendants and the communi-
ty is the stationing of a uniformed, off-duty
police officer during all hours of business.
Each is a member of a specialized police
corps from the 'Youth Resource Offices"
and works the elementary, junior and se-
nior high schools during the daytime.
Schiffer confirms that 'these officers are
our best allies, and they use their dual role
to their advantage." Officer John Noyer re-
ports that if he is having some difficulty
with a particular youth, he will set up a
meeting at Screen Gallery after school
where they can resolve their tensions in a
challenge over a favorite video game.
'This opens up a good line of communi-
cation. Kids begin to see policemen as
friends ... as people. Parents feel secure
in dropping off their kids at the game
room to pursue some other activity-such
as dining out on their own." Noyer's skill at
playing video games has escalated to a
very "respectable" level since he began
his new responsibilities last September
and he further asserts: "I am more alert on
the road now. My eye-hand coordination
has improved. I'm more observant. I can
now deal with five or six things at one time
instead of one or two:'
Brad Schiffer's latest confrontation with
city commissioners springs from his deter-
mination to fly a forty-foot American flag
over Screen Gallery which in itself is quite
a significant "statement" from this staunch
Vietnam War veteran. He is ever persistent
in his philosophy to never say "die" for
what he believes is the public well-being.
He looks at each progressive contention
that arises over his location as the ultimate
"sporting" event. Zoning battles have
been his best advertisement so far-with
his sharp business sense, Schiffer is sure
to make subsequent battles pay off just as
handsomely.