STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- When Carmine Gualtieri and Craig Regina opened the Hop Shoppe in Stapleton two years ago they didn't know how successful their pub grub and crafty cocktails would be with Staten Islanders.



Now, they have decided to give residents another reason to dine with them. They've added a recreational component: a vintage arcade.

To accommodate the arcade that will be filled with about 25 vintage video game favorites -- like Pac Man, Street Fighter and NBA Jam -- the restaurateurs have doubled the size of the restaurant on Van Duzer Street by taking over a neighboring eatery that recently closed.

"The arcade and the Hop Shoppe will operate as one business, so you'll be able to walk from the restaurant into the arcade," said Gualtieri, noting there is an existing doorway between the two spaces that will now be open.

He noted the arcade space will be about 2,500-square-feet, and should open in about three weeks. All together, the Hop Shoppe will now be spread across four rooms.

"The renovations are about 95 percent done. The games have been ordered, and we are waiting for them to be delivered," said Gualtieri.

"We wanted to do something a little different, and we think this is something that will make people want to stay here after they eat. It helps if we want to do private parties or live music. It gives us a lot of flexibility," he added.

He noted that more televisions have been added to restaurant to create a "lounge vibe."

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