Last week saw the grand opening of Altona’s newest entertainment destination.
After much anticipation, The Warehouse Family Entertainment Centre is open for business, blending the nostalgic charm of ‘80s arcades with a contemporary touch.
The brains behind this venture are long-time Altona residents Andrew and Stephanie Rempel along with Andrew’s older brother Trevor and his wife Melanie, who hail from Hepburn, SK.
Andrew and Trevor also work together in their development company Steel Creek Developers. They develop hotels, active adult housing and retail in rural communities.
“We started looking at the industry of family entertainment centres when a company contacted us to potentially partner with one near a hotel that we’re building in Niverville,” says Andrew. “So, after seeing some of the numbers and looking at the business plans, we thought that it would be a great business to get into, and we figured we’d start small, right in our hometown of Altona and see if it works before we expanded to larger centres.”
It’s been decades since the Altona Mall has housed an arcade. While there is certainly a nostalgic aspect to the business, Andrew says arcades are making a big comeback.
“In the States, there’s a lot more that are starting up because they’re finding that kids need that social entertainment, instead of just sitting in the basement by themselves. We wanted to create a local business which provides opportunities for our young people to get out, socialize and participate in new activities. We also wanted to create a space to hire and mentor young adults, training them with valuable work skills.”
Stephanie will take charge of the day-to-day operations on-site.
“We hope to be a good local business neighbor that is active in the community and hope to find ways to support local non-profit groups as we figure out some creative ways to help organizations raise money,” she says.
For now, hours of operation will be based on around school hours but will change when summer arrives. Kids under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Apart from boasting over 20 of the most popular modern arcade games, the facility also features a 20’x20’ virtual reality free-roam arena.
They also offer food concessions and a party area available for birthdays and corporate rental events.
“And this isn’t just for kids,” Andrew says. “This is for all ages. We’ve been approached by seniors saying they’d like to try the games without the prying eyes of teenagers. So we’re looking at having a senior’s day so they can have a chance to enjoy these games, as well.”
You can learn more online at www.thewarehousefec.fun.
