BAY CITY, MI - A trio of retro-game-loving friends came up with a business plan that aims to share their hobby while bringing back old-school fun to Bay City.

Jeff Palmer, Chris Exo and Brentt Brunner are the co-owners and friends who have been hard at work crafting the Crazy Quarters Arcade. The business at 521 Washington Ave. opens for business on Saturday, Feb. 8.

The trio aims to stand out by offering an alternative gaming experience in a world of mobile and complicated online games. Their machines are a mix of pinball and video machines; some are from the trio’s personal collections, others were bought just for the Crazy Quarters’ operation.

“We’re shooting for a very family friendly atmosphere. We want people to come in and play, we want it to be a place where families can come and enjoy the games," Palmer said.

Palmer explained how arcades are the ticket to bringing back that real-life, truly social experience with games.

“In an arcade, you’re front and center with the games," he said. “When you put a quarter in you’re buying an experience and that experience is more than just the game itself, it’s everything around you, the people around you, the fun, the music, the lights, the sounds, it all comes together.”

When the opportunity presented itself for the group to take over the former Habitat for Humanity ReStore building, they dove right in. It’s been less than seven weeks since they got the keys to their building and already they are aiming to open this weekend.

The business will open from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and the 5-2-OH Food Truck will also be on site from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. that day.

Walking past the pinball machine line up at Crazy Quarters is a trip through the time. Their oldest machine is a pinball game called “Gottlieb’s Universe”, which was manufactured in 1959. Machines fill the arcade from various decades and with various digital and analogue technologies, ranging up to a brand new pinball machine based on the recent Netflix “Stranger Things” series.

“Pinball in the last ten years has made a massive resurgence again, in itself," said Exo.

As for video consoles, old vintage games are complimented by newer games, such as a new version of Mario Kart racing.

The games are priced anywhere from 50 cents to $1 to play and are set at the factory settings for a reachable playing experience for all.

The arcade tested the waters this summer at a charity pinball event at Electric Kitsch store at 917 Washington Ave.

Once the opening weekend is over, Crazy Quarter’s plans on starting out with limited hours and is hoping to expand them over the summer. The tentative hours for the arcade so far are Thursday 4 - 9 p.m., Friday 4 -10 p.m., Saturday noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday noon to 8 p.m.

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