121 episodes tracked since 2023 about →
Episode 37 - Operator Spotlight: Walt's
PodcastAnalysis updated 3d ago43 min listen
Highlights
- Jeff transitioned from operating 60+ games on route to just 8 games at a brewery plus 10 at Walt's due to time and lifestyle constraints with family
- Walt's operates almost exclusively EM and solid-state machines (no modern Sterns except recently added Pulp Fiction and Cactus Canyon), yet attracts significant play from young, casual LA players
- Walt's prices games at 50 cents (Pulp Fiction, Cactus Canyon, Monster Bash) vs regional competitors charging 75 cents to $1 for new games
- Jeff suspects other LA operators resent his lower pricing but won't confront him directly
- Walt's building has historical significance: built early 1900s as plumbing shop, housed McCleary's ice cream in 1920s, was first LA-county Vans retail shoe store in mid-1970s
- Jeff and brother Brad formerly owned Adaball (Seattle) as partners with Travis 12 years ago; Brad has since exited bar business; now they swap games seasonally between locations
- Jeff's father taught him and brother to repair pinball machines in childhood using carburetor cleaner and brake cleaner, damaged a Surf Champ still in operation at Walt's
- Operators running new Stern games at Walt's location pricing would need many plays to recoup $8k+ purchase cost; classic games hold value but residual depreciation complicates ROI math
Notable quotes
“At one point, I had like 60 games... it's too hard, man. Like when I was younger... I just want to swim in the pool and hang out with my wife. I'm not trying to get like the pinball baron of LA.”
“My lineup is solely based on what i love... that's the best lineup to have.”
“Every light has to work, every switch has to work. If i see a dirty rubber i'm fucking pumped dude and i'm changing it... every day i'm in the bar working on every day every fucking day”
“You don't just set it and forget it... It's not passive income. If you want to do it right, it's a lot of work.”
“I saw guys get into pinball via waltz and end up like buying games within like a year. It's like you hook them in so fast there.”
“When you're new to pinball all of the pinball is hard... the modern stuff's just more confusing. But you play the old stuff you can walk up and everybody kind of immediately understands like oh i want to shoot the stuff that's lit up.”
“I have a whole library of parts... every single time i don't have a new [part] and i'm like fuck how do i not have this flipper crank... And then I know. It's a lot.”
“If he says that, I don't fucking know... I think there's a lot of operators like you... You bought Pulp Fiction because you think it's rad... not considering ROI.”
Entities
- Adaball· company
- MNX· company
- Revenge of Comics and Pinball· company
- Walt's· company
- Wedgehead· company
- Wedgehead Pinball Podcast· organization
- Alan· person
- Alex 'Waterboy'· person
- Brad Johnson· person
- Jeannie Kennedy· person
- Jeff Johnson· person
- Jeff's father· person
- Jeff's wife· person
- Travis· person
- Tyler White· person
- Cactus Canyon· product
- Monster Bash· product
- Pulp Fiction· product
- Surf Champ· product
- Trident· product
