That and Skee-Ball have proved a winning formula at 8 Bit Arcade Bar, which has moved into bigger quarters
Jason Pacey navigates the road to success with a gaming joystick.
Several years ago, he quit his job managing a drugstore. He had no real plan. He just wanted to find some fun.
“Honestly, I was bored,” he said.
He shook away the doldrums and found a new career with 8 Bit Arcade Bar. It features free play on a slew of old-school gaming cabinets, plus a massive selection of craft-beers. It’s been a winning combo, enough to prompt a recent move to a bigger location.
“Just fun,” he said with a smile. “Just games and beer.”
“A lot more everything’
During Pacey’s job hiatus in 2015, a pal told him — over a beer, naturally — about a new trend in pubs: arcade bars, featuring throwback gaming.
“She was telling me about these popping up in bigger cities,” said Pacey, 43. “I checked one out and instantly fell in love.”
He had been a gaming buff during his days at Peoria High School, though he let the pastime wane during his days studying business and information systems at Illinois State University. Then this business opportunity beckoned: opening Peoria’s only arcade bar.
First, he had to get his hands on some old gaming cabinets, a process that has progressed to a word-of-mouth network.
“Back in the day, I was on Craigslist, eBay and all that stuff,” Pacey said. “As time went on, I met a guy, he moved me to another guy, and he had something. It just spun out of control.”
Pacy’s first location, at 100 State St, was crammed with 35 cabinets, with gamers sometimes jammed cheek to jowl. Peak times could turn the place unpleasantly warm.
So, spring 2023 had 8 Bit moving just up the block to 619 SW Water St., formerly home to Mack’s, Tannins & Hops Speakeasy and Rhodell Brewery.
‘People love reminiscing about back in the day’
“Here, you can definitely move around,” Pacey said. “Bigger bar, a lot more games, a lot more everything.”
Pac-Man, long may he preside
The new space includes 20 additional gaming cabinets, bringing the total to 55. Favorites depend on age: customers who grew up in the ‘80s prefer Pac-Man and Asteroids, while ‘90s kids gravitate to NFL Blitz and Mortal Kombat.
“It’s your childhood, you know,” Pacey said. “People love reminiscing about back in the day.”
That’s what brings in Morris Shields, 44, and Maurice Whatley, 45. The Peoria residents grew up in the same neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, feeding quarters into gaming machines at a local arcade. On a recent afternoon at 8 Bit, they battled on Street Fighter II, from 1991.
“It reminds me of my childhood,” Whatley said.
Shields said today’s video games boast spectacular graphics but can get complex. He prefers vintage games.
“On PlayStation, they get complicated,” said Shields with a laugh.
The friends no longer have to pack quarters to play — at least, not at 8 Bit. All video games there are free. Perhaps that’s why even 20-somethings, who grew up after the explosion of home gaming systems, flock to 8 Bit.
“Even if you’re not good at it, free’s definitely a good benefit,” said Pacey.
For the owner, there’s only one downside to the games: the constant repairs. He and his five employees often figure out fixes by trial and error. For old parts, he searches online or cannibalizes the busted games that fill his garage.
“There’s always two or three or four (games) that we’re always hunting parts for,” he said.
Even amid all the throwbacks, there’s a new throwback: Skee-Ball. These new machines are the only non-free game offerings at 8 Bit. Pacey is thinking about starting a Skee-Ball league, as the game continues a strong resurgence.
another lure at 8 Bit: beer … Brands unavailable elsewhere in Peoria
“We’re the third place in Peoria that has Skee-Ball right now,” he said. “So, it’s definitely coming back.”
Beside all the games, there’s another lure at 8 Bit: beer. In addition to vintage and popular suds, 8 Bit specializes in brands unavailable elsewhere in Peoria, bought mostly from breweries and stores in and around Chicago.
“We have the largest selection of craft-beer in the area, by far,” Pacey said.
So far, the new place has proved a success. More than ever, Pacey loves his job.
“I’m surrounded by two things I like: video games and beer,” he said.
