Business Thrives In Cherry Hill By Meeting Customers' Needs For Decades

CHERRY HILL, NJ — Jon Perper, owner of Erlton Craft Bar & Kitchen, says his secret to staying in business for 60-plus years is his business' ability to adapt to customers' wants and needs.

What began as a bowling alley has since evolved to an entertainment center that can host a variety of special events with many freshly-prepared foods and a variety of beverages available for purchase, he said.

"My father opened a bowling center in Cherry Hill in the 1960s called Woodcrest Lanes and I worked there for many, many years," Perper said in an interview. "In 1981 we changed it to Super Bowl."

In the 1980s, the family business at 1536 Kings Highway North became Playdrome and Entertainment Center. Along with the name change came new customer options like an arcade, ping pong and shuffleboard, according to Perper.

"I could see that customers still wanted to have our style of entertainment products," he said. "But they wanted to do these [activities] in a more leisurely fashion ... wanted to be able to use
the facility for events, parties or family outings," he said.

In 2015, the business added space for special events to their location and became known as The Big Event, he said.

"We knew that [we] needed to have a restaurant within the facility. And that was always a little challenging because there are many levels [of food]," Perper explained.

The snack bar was dropped and a menu that includes freshly prepared seasonal American foods with many shareable items, flatbreads, kids' meals, desserts, craft beers, seasonal craft cocktails and wine was added, he said.

Funeral lunches, corporate dinners, birthday parties, fundraising events, bachelor and bachelorette parties are some of the many special events that can be held in one of the venue's three private event rooms, according to Perper.

The venue, now known as Erlton Craft Bar & Kitchen, also now offers ping pong, shuffleboard, bingo nights as well as fantasy sports leagues, and the venue frequently hosts live performances, he said.

Learn more about the venue by visiting www.ErltonSocial.com.

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