Play Meter

into uburb of larger towns, suburbs of Wichita,
and towns of ten to twelve to fifteen thousand,
where there i not really a lot for the kids to do.
PLAY METER: In terms of actual locations,
though, within the towns, what do you look for?
What specific might you be looking for?
GETTLE: We try to go into a nice shopping area,
preferably a shopping center. We try to find an
area of approximately 2,000 square feet, one that
ha plenty of parking. We try to go into an area
where our particular business is compatible with
the bu ine es around us.
PLAY METER: For example?
GETTLE: A grocery store next door, or on either
side of us would be fine. A restaurant or a bowling
alley next to us would also be fine.
PLAY METER: What about surrounding busi-
nesses that you might avoid.
GETTLE: Even though there are some very nice
bar , we would try to avoid going in next to a bar,
or next to a beauty shop or a barber shop.
PLAY METER: Why would you avoid those, a
beauty hop or a barber shop?
GETTLE: You have a lot of traffic going in and out
of them, and in a recreation center, especially in the
summer time, you're very likely to have a number
of kid out ide around their cars. To many people
unfortunately just the presence of a group of kids is
di tracting. And we just try to stay away from that.
PLAY METER: Obviously you've done a great
deal of expanding since you went into the business.
You started with one location and now have eight
with two more in the works. How did you go about
discovering new locations?
GETTLE: I'm constantly on the lookout and
everyone with the company is constantly on the
lookout for new locations. When we hear of a new
"We're not social workers, but we're there--we're
TUning an activity for the kids. What I'm looking
for in a manager is the kind of man that can handle
that responsibility . ..
"If you had to single out the No. 1 problem that
we have with equipment, it would be keeping the
solid-state games operating and income producing . ..
shopping center or mall going up in a suburb of
Wichita, and now that we are really growing in a
suburb or in a small town anywhere in the state of
Kansas, we try to acquire a location in this new
center. Most shopping centers or malls go in on the
basis of a lot of pre-planning. The owners have
checked out the area for their multi-million dollar
investment and found that there's a need for a large
shopping center there. So you have a built-in
clientele when you go into it. A shopping center is a
premium location, as far as we're concerned.
PLAY METER: Let's assume then that we have a
location. The next thing I'd like us to talk about is
the di pensation of that location. What do you look
for when you're getting ready to sign a lease? What
ort of terms are necessary?
GETTLE: We like to have a short-term lease with
as many renewal options as we can get. In this way
we limit our liability with regard to the lease and
yet we have the luxury of being able to exercise the
options and stay there for a number of years.
PLA Y METER: What sorts of options are you
looking for in the lease besides renewal options?
What kind of leeway can you get in a lease to run
things in your part of the building the way you want
to?
GETTLE: Well, we would not accept a lease that
had a cancellation clause that was only one-sided,
let's say a lease--and we've been presented with
ome--where the landlord had the right to cancel ~
after 30 or 60 days notice, should, in his opinion; a I
problem arise from the kids or from our business. ~
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