Mena ARkade

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How We Got Here

In 2015, we moved our family to Mena to escape the bustling city life of Dallas once and for all. It’s a common story for folks here; almost as common as the question, “Why Mena?” For us, there were several factors. Arkansas’ beauty is one. We vacationed in Arkansas several times, and every time we went back home, none of us wanted to leave. We only knew a couple of people in this area, but it was the closes viable option to Dallas and Nacogdoches, where our oldest was set to attend college. We spent two years hunting a town and house that we liked. The last one we had left on our list won us over, and so on came the big move.

The past 5 years has been great for the most part. One of the few drawbacks living here has presented is that there are very few entertainment options for all age groups, but especially for our youth. We love the outdoors as much as the next person, but we also enjoy a variety of other forms of entertainment. Given that our 2nd and 3rd children are teens, we have been hearing about their boredom for a while now. After a few years here, we decided that somebody had to do something about this, and that somebody might as well be us. So, we spent the last couple of years looking for a suitable building - good bones, right price, great location, etc. This proved to be a bigger challenge than expected, but last fall, Gene Nance decided it was time to retire, and he put the Mena Mattress building on the market. Built in the 1930s, the building’s structure is solid (they really don’t build them like they used to). The location could scarcely be any better - it actually has parking, it’s on the main highway through town, it has great visibility, and it’s in the relative center of town. On top of all that, the price was right (thanks, Gene!). So, we swooped in and bought the place.

The first week or two after that were surreal. Wow! We own a building! Now what?! Well, thanks to my past, I have a ton of experience (and a bachelor’s degree) in electronics. I worked in an arcade in my teen years, and I’ve also owned and spent countless hours playing, restoring and repairing pinball machines. They are one of my great passions and have been since my youth. I’ve also done my share of interior remodels in the past, so I felt pretty comfortable with most of what lay before us.

Sadly, during the move from Dallas in 2015, I was forced to part with my pinball collection or I would have had a head start on this project. Instead, I spent the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020 rounding up table games, pinballs and arcade machines from every corner of the southern U.S. Many road trips and many hours of restoration later, and I have acquired a modest collection of nearly 30 games. It wasn’t long before the back warehouse at the mattress building and half of my basement at home were overflowing with games. In parallel with game sourcing, we also had an enormous list of tasks to complete in the building itself. Walls had to be shifted around; the front door needed to swing out instead of in. I don’t think we own any clothes that don’t have at least some paint on them any more, and I don’t care if I never paint another wall again. New (super funky) carpet needed to be sourced and installed; counters and other fixtures needed building. Some of this work, I farmed out to various local contractors who have done wonders with the place. The rest, we took on ourselves in an effort to be fiscally responsible. It’s taken maybe a bit longer than I would have preferred, but I’m glad we did it ourselves. Pride of ownership couldn’t be higher.

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