Episode 55 - Operator Spotlight: Quarters SLC
Podcast
Wedgehead Pinball Podcast
49 min
Summary
Quarter Drop operator Mike discusses running arcade bars in Utah's regulated environment across two SLC locations.
Alan and Alex from Wedgehead Pinball Podcast interview Mike, owner of Quarter Drop Arcade in Salt Lake City, which operates two locations. They discuss the challenges of running arcade bars: combining difficult bar operations with arcade management: navigating Utah's strict alcohol regulations, the naming origin of Quarter Drop, managing two close locations, revenue splits between games/bar/food, and how customer expectations shape business identity.
Highlights
- Quarter Drop took three years from conception to opening in early 2018
- Quarter Drop downtown location generates 80% revenue from alcohol, 20% from games, ~1% from food
- Sugar House location (2 miles from downtown) generates ~75% from bar, ~20% from games, ~5% from food
- The two Quarter Drop locations cannibalize each other due to proximity, with downtown dominating
- Utah requires all spirits to be metered through a 'Berg' measuring device for auditing purposes
- Utah state conducted alcohol audit on Quarter Drop two days before this podcast episode
- Utah law prohibits two drinks with the same base spirit being served simultaneously
- Utah liquor laws became more lenient after hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics
- Opening a second location succeeded operationally but the Sugar House location doesn't make significant profit
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