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Ann arbor pinball petes6/18/2023 ![]() ![]() “I think if somebody is willing to share that much support, and help us in a time of need, the least we can do is memorialize what they’ve done for us in a wall at Pinball Pete’s – so everyone can see what they’ve done for us.” The rewards are designed to be thank yous from the family business. Donations of $75 earns a Pinball Pete’s t-shirt, a re-run of a vintage design, $125 a limited-edition tie-dye t-shirt, $200 a limited edition ‘I Saved Pinball Pete’s’ t-shirt, and $500 a name on the wall in addition to a meet & greet with the owner. In looking for incentives for donors to give, Pinball Pete’s decided upon a few different rewards. “We went ahead and posted it, and woke up the next morning, and everybody was just coming out in droves to support us, and it was a great feeling,” Nick said. The number was decided on to both prevent both locations from closing forever and prepare for another closing if more epidemic orders are put in place. At time of publication, it’s already received $66,000 toward the $125,000 goal. Ultimately, they launched the campaign on Christmas Day. The Reynolds and co-owner Ted Arnold debated posting the fundraising campaign, instead seeking out other ways to make ends meet. Given the okay to reopen back in October for a few days, Pinball Pete’s was forced to close yet again – meaning no income a second time. We’re overwhelmed to see the support that we’ve received in response to that request.” “At this point, we started to ask for some help from the community. “While we’re ready for emergency situations, asking any small business to remain closed and still pay their bills for the better part of a year is kind of a lot to ask,” Nick said. This lack of revenue led to the Reynolds family seeking out local help. Like most entertainment venues, this business has still had to pay rent and utilities, despite not being allowed to have a single customer in their space. Pinball Pete’s has launched a GoFundMe with the hopes of raising $125,000 to ensure the longevity of their two family-owned business locations, in East Lansing and Ann Arbor. Pinball Pete’s is in need of financial support. But for the last nine months, almost no one has been allowed to spend any time there. The social media manager and son of co-owner Mike Reynolds, grew up in East Lansing and spent much of his youth at the arcade. And both of those are in jeopardy.įor Nick Reynolds, Pinball Pete’s is like home. Opening during the ‘70s arcade boom, there used to be many Pinball Pete’s scattered throughout Michigan, but today, only two remain. "Your business is an entertainment business, but it’s about creating memories with family and friends and relationships.Pinball Pete’s is synonymous with family fun as a local downtown recreation staple and the location for many memorable life moments for many East Lansing residents. “I talked to my dad and said you touch people’s lives every day," Reynolds said. Proving in the end a global pandemic is no match against a community coming together. Whether a donation of $5 dollars or more than $1,000, the memories attached to each donation are priceless. “We saw someone who said they proposed to their wife next to the Tetris machine because it was their favorite game," Reynolds said.įrom first dates to post-finals celebrations, everyone had a story to share. Customers are sharing funds and sharing memories. Within two days, the site raised more than $50,000. In a matter of hours, donations poured in. "And that wasn’t something we wanted to do.” “It was either start asking for help or close doors," Reynolds said. In a last-ditch effort to save their business, a GoFundMe page was launched. They've only briefly opened up in empty college towns. Michigan arcades like Pinball Pete’s were forced to close throughout most of the pandemic. “It's very difficult to ask any small business with multiple locations in a downtown city area and college towns especially, to be able to close their doors for eight months and still pay their bills,” Reynolds said. “It's difficult for me to talk to anyone who’s been on either of those campuses and find someone who doesn't know about it or hasn't had an experience there,” said Nick Reynolds, whose father has been a co-owner of the arcade for more than 40 years.Įven as other mom and pop arcades closed down, their family business has become a campus icon in Ann Arbor and East Lansing, but even that is no match for a global pandemic. ANN ARBOR, Mich- (WXYZ) - One step into Pinball Pete’s arcade is like a step back in time and a walk down memory lane for decades of Spartans and Wolverines. ![]()
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