Stay on Target: Laser Tag Business Hiring, May Open Next Month

The next party you organize in Newark may involve pizza, soda and lasers.

As crews transform the old Ethan Allen furniture store on Stevenson Boulevard into party rooms and gaming areas for the new Laser Tagging and Maze, Laser Tagging Inc. owners are banking on Tri-Cities families and businesses, hoping they will take advantage of the new space for a variety of events, from birthday parties to business meetings.

Co-owner Kevin Gill says he will hire six to seven part-time employees and he wants to open for business next month.

“There are two levels for laser tagging,” Gill said as he gave Newark Patch a tour of all the construction work and renovations. “We’ll have ramps along the side. In the lobby, there will be television monitors showing the players’ scores.”

Newark Community Development Director Terrence Grindall said the new business should help to add vitality to the Stevenson Station Center.

“We actually had a laser tag place in the space above what is now T.J. Maxx years ago,” Grindall said.

Stevenson Station is also home to , , Subway, and other businesses.

The gave the green light to a proposed laser tag operation by Gill and co-owner Kuldeep (Johny) Singh when members approved their application for a conditional use permit during the Jan. 13 council meeting,

Gill and Singh say Newark offered the best deal for a new business.

“We were looking for a place all over the Bay Area, from Fremont down to Tracy,” Gill said. “In this space, the rent was flexible. The property owner would rather have someone use the space (the former Ethan Allen store) instead of leaving it empty.”

Singh says the laser tag location next to Interstate 880 is ideal for any business. He hopes families from Union City to San Jose and beyond will check out the new venue.

“It’s a decent investment,” Singh said.

Gill pointed out a smaller room with black walls.

“This is the maze area, which may be good for toddlers who are too young to do laser tag,” he said. “There will also be monitors to show players’ times and how many times they were tagged (by lasers).”

Imagine a high-tech burglary film plus roving lasers and toss in some very flexible actors, like Vincent Cassel in Ocean’s Twelve. Next, step into their footsteps and you have laser tag.

Crews have divided part of the 9,400-square-foot space into three party rooms. Gill says Laser Tagging Inc. has partnered with Pizza Hut to offer pies and soda for parties.

“We want to serve good food and make sure people have fun,” he said.

According to Gill, the renovated party rooms may also be used by businesses that need meeting space. Co-workers may test their hand-eye coordination skills inside the laser tag arena as part of staff development activity.

Grindall says this would be a unique feature for a Newark venue.

“I am sure that there are Newark businesses that would be interested in team building events like laser tag, I’m just not aware of them,” Grindall said. “We don’t have other business that provide that type of corporate event.”

Laser Tagging and Maze may open its doors to the public in May. It is accepting applications for part-time positions online on its website.