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Episode 27 - Operator Spotlight: Pinball Over Boston
PodcastAnalysis updated 3d ago51 min listen
Highlights
- Mitch has been operating pinball machines for roughly 10 years, approaching his May 2014 anniversary
- The dominant Boston-area operator used 8-year auto-renewing contracts with penalty fees to keep broken games in venues
- Mitch started with four games: High Speed 2, 8-Ball Deluxe, Lord of the Rings, and Austin Powers
- Flat Top Johnny Pinball's grew from 2 machines to 12 pinball machines by the time it closed during COVID
- Mitch now operates 70-80 pieces of amusement equipment total across three locations
- Mitch worked at Gentle Giant Moving Company before becoming a full-time operator
- Mitch was initially nervous about renting games during COVID due to contract liability concerns
- Mitch charged $1 per play for newer Stern machines for most of his operating history
- Roxy's Arcade has 10 pinball machines and approximately 30 arcade games in a tight speakeasy-style venue
- Mitch raised prices on premium games (Elton John at $2, Elvira at $2) when Flat Top Johnny Pinball's reopened and felt it caused negative word-of-mouth
Notable quotes
“It's like I try not to even say it out loud to jinx myself because it's just like, you know, I never wanted to end. It's the best job I've ever had.”
“This level of operator inspired me to be like, well, it's this shitty. I can do it better than that.”
“The only thing I had, I was equipped with just my extreme passion for pinball. And like to me, anything less than 100 percent playing was unacceptable.”
“Your reputation is people walk into a place and they see games on and they see games playing well and that is your whole reputation.”
“I'm a pinball head, so I'm always going to make sure the pinball's around. And you're sort of doing the reverse.”
“If that's what's making the difference, maybe you should just be staying at home. Like, at the end of the day... the prices for playing pinball are like stuck where they were 30 years ago.”
“It's funny because it's like that's the same hobby. They exist in the same world, and it's so weird.”
“My thought was like, I hope nobody plays this because the second people do it's going to fall apart and then I have to fix it.”
Entities
- Gentle Giant Moving Company· company
- Pinball Over Boston· company
- Stern· company
- Wedgehead Pinball Podcast· content
- 8-Ball Deluxe· game
- Austin Powers· game
- Black Knight Premium· game
- Dolly Parton· game
- Elton John· game
- Elvira House of Horrors· game
- Evel Knievel· game
- High Speed 2· game
- Jaws Premium· game
- Lord of the Rings· game
- Medieval Madness· game
- Alan· person
- Alex the Waterboy· person
- Mitch· person
- Rodsey· person
- Double Bowl Tap House· venue
- Flat Top Johnny Pinball's· venue
- Rain City Free Play· venue
- Roxy's Arcade Grilled Cheese· venue
- Sunshine Laundromat· venue
