The Top Ten Redemption Center Opportunitiesby George McAuliffeDavid Letterman has given us a Top Ten list every night for many years. We are in redemption game rooms just about every week all over the U.S. and thought we would share our Top Ten list of opportunities to maximize ... (view more)
IAAPA Investment Pays Off by George McAuliffe"This will be my 25th IAAPA. I’m just as excited about this one as I was back in 1988. I can’t tell you where that show was because it moved around quite a bit in those years. I was there, at the “Parks Show” as we arcade operators called it, ... (view more)
Pushing the Prize Envelope: How Far Is Too Far? by Howard McAuliffe"Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered.” My dad loved to use this aphorism when talking about pushing the envelope in business. He means it is good business to stretch a little outside your comfort zone and take some risk, but if you get greedy it can kill you, at least economically. ... (view more)
Case Study: Crane & Merchandiser Makeover by George McAuliffeRegular readers of this column and the Crane
Zone column by my son Howard have heard from us countless times: detail matters when it comes to crane and merchandiser sales. The key
principles of operation include ... (view more)
FEC Review: iPlayAmerica by George McAuliffeLong before Snooki gave millions of Americans the wrong image of the Jersey Shore, I was growing up there, in Spring Lake Heights, a half mile from the ocean with caring neighbors. ... (view more)
Father & Son Reunion by George McAuliffe"...the first key is location. With that, placing the crane in the right place in that location is crucial. Next has got to be product: a good mix, which must be regularly rotated. Third would be a tie between ... (view more)
Learning from the Masters (of Bowling Entertainment)by George McAuliffe"Stumptown,” Portland, Oregon is a great city to spend a week in, especially the week during which blizzards buried much of the rest of the country in snow. With a son recently moved to Seattle, my wife and I flew to the Pacific Northwest the Saturday before, and home the Sunday after, fortunately missing most of the midweek delays and cancellations ... (view more)
A Look at the Numbersby George McAuliffeBowling-anchored FECs are the hottest trend in the family entertainment center industry. In recent, years more centers have come on line. Bowling is the leading asset to the mix, the prime draw and anchor. Bowling appeals to a wide age group as shown in bowling leagues spanning age groups from toddlers to seniors ... (view more)
How to Price Redemption Merchandiseby George McAuliffeThe other day I was rebuilding a fence. You won’t normally catch me engaged in skilled labor (a few years back, my wife left with the kids and wouldn’t come home until I promised to call a plumber), but I’m a little cheap and the fence just needed new crossbars. To check a dimension, I pulled out my trusty tape measure. With elbow holding the lumber and pencil in hand, I needed it to work — it didn’t, it jammed. After a few minutes of fiddling wouldn’t free it, into the trash it went. I grabbed another tape measure (after selling our game route five years ago, we’ve got five of every tool known to man). This one got me the measurement, but it refused to close. Have you ever rolled 12 feet of metal into a ball? ... (view more)
Getting Back to FEC Basicsby George McAuliffeGiven that this edition of RePlay looks at the state of the FEC, I thought it would be a good time to review the business basics for state-of-the-art redemption. The term FEC is evolving. Its common usage, since about 1990, referred to what we now call The Traditional FEC, a combination of games, rides, laser tag, children’s entertainment attractions, food and beverage and often miniature golf with a big group and party sales component. ... (view more)
A Training Ground for Merchandisingby George McAuliffeWhoopie cushions and Rolex watches? Diamond rings and goofy teeth? A head of lettuce and plush toys? Different worlds, no? What is the connection? The family fun industry can find a lot to emulate in other retail environments. ...(view more)
Prizes with punchby George McAuliffeA few years back, I talked to a redemption operator who told me he bought all his merchandise at a local dollar store. If he paid a dollar for it he would “mark it up” as high as he thought he could get away with. He showed me an item he had out at 800 tickets and bragged that he “made” $7 profit on the item. The problem is that good redemption economics don’t work that way. ...(view more)
Redemption by the Numbersby George McAuliffeIt is hard to believe there is a bowling proprietor today who is unaware of a hot trend in the market the marriage of family entertainment and bowling. And a happy marriage it is. The honeymoon period is over ...(view more)
Big boxes and Betty Crockerby George McAuliffeAs human beings, business owners and bowling proprietors it is often useful to step back and examine our approach to life in general and to our business in particular. "What business are we in?" ...(view more)
Bowling FECs and Hybrids Continue to Growby George McAuliffeWith all the bad news, you really have to be careful to whom you are talking, or you can wind up depressed and anxious. No question, the country is in a recession, all the more reason to channel our energy in pursuit of the opportunities that remain out there ... (view more)
Look for Opportunites When Times Are Toughby George McAuliffeAt the recent ASI show in Las Vegas we spent a lot of time in the aisles talking to operators, distributors and manufacturers. "How is your business doing?" was the opening question for many conversations, and the answers were mixed ... (view more)
How to Hire a Consultantby George McAuliffeSadly unethical business practices are not limited to Washington and Wall Street. They have trickled down to Main Street and the world of family entertainment is not immune ... (view more)
New Shakey's Mount it's Comebackby George McAuliffeThe Great Shakey's Pizza name was long known as the place to go for great pizza and good times. Forty years ago, the chain boasted over 500 restaurants in North America; however, that number shrank to about 60 in 2005. Now they are mounting a comeback ...(view more)
The Trade Show Season is Hereby George McAuliffeFun Expo and the Amusement and Music Operators Association (AMOA) International Expo, joined for the second year by the Las Vegas Souvenir and Resort Gift Show, is set to opin in Las Vegas, Nev., later this month. a "must attend" ...(view more)