Video story produced and reported by Victoria Crosdale. Web editing by Siham Kharfan.
George Courtney was busy in 2018. His wife Helen was pregnant, and they were signing the lease for a restaurant space in downtown Dunedin.
What resulted was Dunedin’s new virtual reality arcade bar and what they call Tampa Bay’s only bar exclusively devoted to modern console gaming.
Reboot Arcade is different from other restaurants. A combination of George’s love of gaming and Helen’s appreciation for the fine atmosphere, the bar provides guests with an inclusive space to eat, drink and game all at once.
George Courtney says Reboot Arcade was born from a caffeine-fueled video game binge that inspired him to create a holy place for nerds to gather.
“Just like when people go to a sports bar, they’re sitting there eating and drinking and they’re looking at something,” says Courtney. “And I love sports, but I’m like, well, what if instead of sports, they could watch other people play video games or they could watch a Twitch stream? Or, you know, you could be there with your girlfriend or boyfriend and you can play Mario Kart?”
Reboot Arcade is designed for gamers and hosts an extensive collection of consoles. Guests can play a wide array of games across multiple platforms, so gamers of all tastes feel included.
“I think we have six X-Box Ones, five Playstation 4s, a PlayStation 5, an Xbox Series X,” says Courtney. “And then we have classic consoles. We have a Nintendo, a SuperNintendo, an N64, a SEGA Genesis, a Dreamcast.”
The arcade also boasts 16 flat-screen TVs, as well as several old-school pinball and arcade games.
The couple has traveled across the country to curate their collection of rare machines and vintage games. Although the trips are tiring, it means Reboot Arcade has games like no other bar in Tampa Bay.
“We actually drove all the way to Boston during the pandemic to pick up a Rick and Morty pinball machine and drove it all the way back in one sitting,” says Courtney. “It was exhausting.”
The arcade offers a private space for VIP guests. In addition to having access to all the bar’s video games, VIPs can experience one of the most powerful virtual reality headsets on the market in the HTC Vive VR VIP area.
Courtney and his wife plan on opening another arcade located in Safety Harbor. For the couple, the joy on their guests’ faces is worth every penny.
“When people come in, we wanted them to feel like, ‘You know what, if I had a bad day, I can come in here and reboot my day,'” says Courtney. “It’s been really fun.”
