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arcade games have been installed at both
facilities, complete with a redemption center
where guests can trade tickets for prizes. The
games are some of the most popular in the
country. Mike is confident this new partnership
will thrive.
Mike has observed that, oftentimes,
facility operators underestimate cost and
overestimate profit. A high-quality program
is a huge investment. A lot of work goes into
making it successful. As Mike says, it isn't
something you want to invest all your money
in when you retire. Indoor sports is not an
easy business. Operators need to be hands-
on. Programming that brings in the most
customers is key.
Basketball, for example, is difficult to make
profitable. There are many inexpensive
programs and even free options. At the
Sandhills facility, half of the basketball court
has been replaced with the arcade and, this
spring, the other half will become a laser tag
center. "It is a big investment," Mike says, "but
the return is going to be rapid because we
have traffic now."
Plex Indoor Sports prides itself on its high-
quality HiWire trampoline park and state-
of-the-art arcade games. Healthy activity is
part of the branding of the facilities' sports
programs, which have sparked after-school
