Coast River Business Journal:
Chris Donner likes games… vintage stuff.
Pinball machines and arcade games.
Now, the 29-year-old has purchased Pacific Glass Inc. in northern Lincoln City and plans to showcase nearly 150 arcade games on a revolving basis when he opens a pub and entertainment business this fall.
“I really got into arcade games when my dad was running an arcade route,†Donner said. “We would always have games at the house and I would play them all the time.â€
Donner’s girlfriend, Jenny, 23, also has caught “arcade fever,†Chris said. They met in the U.S. Marine Corps following deployments in Iraq.
The two are members of Portland Arcade Collectors, enthusiasts who like to find, collect, repair, restore and play classic arcade games.
The coin-operated entertainment machines include video games, such as pinball machines; electro-mechanical games; redemption games and merchandisers (such as claw cranes).
Their popularity has waned since the 1970s and ‘80s. Yet Donner sees a niche for the business, particularly in a coastal tourist town such as Lincoln City.