TaMaryn Waters

USA Today Network

District 850 — a new entertainment and dining venue to be built near the entrance of Canopy at Welaunee — breaks ground in the next few weeks.

Developer Nil Patel is building a 45,000-square-foot facility with 16 bowling lanes and six lanes of bowling suites, creating a separate section for a more posh experience. Suites will be divided by interior garage doors and accented with sofas, cabanas and a private bar.

Patel said District 850 also will be one of the few places in the country to offer HyperBowling, a concept that bridges bowling with video games and uses a bumper system to make shots and points. No more gutter balls, he said, adding anyone can play and not feel intimidated.

"I want everyone to just have fun. Forget about their work. Forget about everything," Patel said. "Just have fun. It’s an entertainment venue. We are going to provide the best service and experience you can find.”

The entertainment venue will have 90 arcade games, including all-time retro favorites, today's popular video games, a rope course for zip lining, two levels of laser tag and three escape rooms. For those hankering for some eats and spirits, Patel is building a bar and American grill restaurant inside.

He said much thought was put into where the restaurant would be located in relation to the entertainment space. Parents, for example, will be able to eat at the restaurant and watch their children play.

In 2011, Patel moved to Tallahassee from Houston after his wife accepted at job with Tallahassee Primary Care Associates. He noticed the gaping void in indoor entertainment venues and came up with the District 850 concept nearly six years ago.

He's been working to breathe life into the massive endeavor for the last year and a half. Patel said he anticipates construction to be complete by June 2020.

"We are doing a lot of things that are going to make people happy," Patel said. "We won’t be asking for Dave and Busters anymore.”

Tallahassee residents have all but begged for a Dave & Busters, an arcade for grown-ups where they can enjoy food and libations. According to Google.com/trends, the Cheesecake Factory and Dave & Buster's pull in loads of search requests from hungry netizens in the capital city.

A 2017 article in QSR Magazine, the "eatertainment" sector is rapidly growing, even though it's not a new concept and since Chuck E. Cheese’s and Dave & Buster’s came online in the 70s and 80s.

A survey conducted by food industry market research firm Datassential, the article stated, reported nearly 60% of all consumers said they were interested in visiting an eatertainment concept venue. While 30% of consumers said they had already visited one.

In addition, about 40% of those surveyed said they were interested in visiting an arcade bar, bowling restaurant, or social emporium, while 26% were interested in visiting a golf entertainment venue, the article stated.

And the concept is quietly growing in Tallahassee. In May, Hanger 38 opened in Bannerman Crossing as an entertainment and dining venue within the northeast shopping plaza.

District 850's entry at Canopy is expected to be a significant draw for the master planned community under construction.

Canopy is predicted to be the next enclave of concentrated growth within the city limits. It anchors the western toe of the Welaunee development east of Fleischmann Road between Centerville and Miccosukee roads.

The master plan calls for 850 to 1,000 new homes. Canopy also brings major commercial components, such as an assisted living facility and a satellite site for the Tallahassee Orthopedic Center, among other projects.

Contact TaMaryn Waters at tlwaters@tallahassee.com or folllow @TaMarynWaters on Twitter.