GRAND FORKS — Pizza Ranch is upgrading its places with FunZone arcades to offer its personal model of an “eater-tainment” expertise for patrons.
Mike Christianson, who owns the Grand Forks location in addition to 9 different places throughout the area, mentioned the arcades are supposed to deliver a brand new layer to the expertise of consuming at Pizza Ranch, one of many greatest restaurant chains within the Midwest.
The Grand Forks location opened its personal FunZone in October 2021. It was the primary one to open in North Dakota, with Fargo following go well with in December.
Christianson mentioned the FunZone has fared properly and introduced in income since its opening. Particularly standard are the 5 get together rooms, typically used for youths’ birthday events.
“The arcade’s been nice,” Christianson mentioned. “When you go there on the weekends whenever you’ve received pizza and leisure, it simply goes collectively.”
Christianson hopes the addition of those arcades will drive extra folks to Pizza Ranch places – and never simply households with youngsters.
“We at all times had birthday events,” Christianson mentioned. “Nicely, now we’ve received extra get together rooms. You probably have an workplace get together and also you wish to have some form of a team-building occasion, or we have even had (rehearsal dinners). … On the time we thought it was huge, however you need to keep in mind, it was somewhat little bit of a danger.”
The FunZone arcade in Grand Forks options about 40 video games, 70% of which Christianson mentioned are redemption video games; gamers earn rewards, often tickets, in proportion to their rating within the sport they play. The tickets can often be redeemed for prizes. The remainder of the video games encompass video video games and claw crane video games, skee ball and extra.
FunZone additionally contains digital actuality video games, as properly.
“It is loopy,” Christianson mentioned. “We have had folks really, in the midst of that sport, simply take the headset off and say, ‘I am unable to do it anymore.’ It’s fairly unbelievable.”
Coming later is a brand new racing simulator referred to as Asphalt 9: Legends. Christianson mentioned Pizza Ranch FunZone arcades would be the first within the Midwest to have it.
“You’re feeling the wind and the seat strikes,” Christianson mentioned. “I would not name it a digital sport, nevertheless it’s actually a simulator, for certain.”
Christianson in contrast the Pizza Ranch renaissance to that of fuel station chains, which now embrace full-fledged meals, medication and extra on the market indoors.
“I form of really feel like that is that added factor to Pizza Ranch,” Christianson mentioned. “It simply makes it extra of a vacation spot location. That simply provides somewhat bit extra to that consuming expertise.”