Danbury Mall Arcade And Entertainment Center Seeks Liquor Permit

DANBURY, CT — How about a few piña colada's before "Pac-Man?"

Round1 Bowling & Amusement, which offers bowling, arcade games, billiards, karaoke, ping pong, darts and similar activities and will be moving into the Danbury Fair Mall, is seeking a permit to sell whiskey and mixed drinks alongside its burgers and wings. The company has submitted its pub food menu and drinks list to city’s Zoning Commission, which has scheduled a public hearing for the liquor permit on July 11.

The 60,000 square foot entertainment complex is "coming soon" to the first floor off the center court of the mall, occupying the space vacated by Forever 21, according to its corporate website.

The California-based company has 50 locations across the United States, but this will be its first operation in Connecticut. The nearest sites are currently in Middletown, NY, on Long Island and in Holyoke, MA.

Arcades defined mall life for a generation in the 1980s, but waned in popularity with the rise of home gaming consoles. The video games and pinball tables are enjoying renewed interest as "retro experiences" yesterday's mall rats have become today's parents.

"More and more, people want physical places where they can be together and have fun," said Doug Healey, a senior executive vice president at the Danbury Fair Mall owner Macerich.