Coin-Op Game Room Brings Vintage Games, 'Tron'-Inspired Speakeasy To 4th & Bryant

Coin-Op Game Room Brings Vintage Games, 'Tron'-Inspired Speakeasy To 4th & Bryant

Coin-Op Game Room at Fourth and Bryant. (Photos: Courtesy of Luke Beard/Coin-Op Game Room)

Elaine Gavin
Published on December 13, 2016

SoMa's new arcade bar, Coin-Op Game Room, is almost ready to open at Fourth and Bryant.

According to a press release issued last night, the game room will debut in mid-December, with a slew of vintage arcade games, a speakeasy inspired by the classic '80s film Tron, plus an extensive selection of bar snacks—served late into the night.

As we reported last spring, co-founders Roy Ledo and Has Mahmood opened their first Coin-Op Game Room in San Diego in 2013, following the success of their first restaurant, The Lion's Share.

The duo launched their second game room in downtown Sacramento last year, before setting their sights on the former Drake nightclub location at 508 4th St., near AT&T Park and the Fourth & King Caltrain station.

"I hope we help put the Fourth Street corridor on the map as a premier destination for good food, drink and entertainment," Mahmood said in a press release.

508 4th Street, before Coin-Op Game Room took over. | Photo: Google Maps

Once Coin-Op Game Room officially opens, arcade games will rotate in monthly. Among many others to choose from at the start, the opening will feature Ghostbusters and Mars Attacks Attack From Mars pinball machines, two Pop-A-Shot basketball games, as well as some classic arcade games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong and Street Fighter.

Rather than simply filling the 10,000-square-foot space with one bar and a slew of games, Coin-Op's design firm sfHEIMAT broke the venue into multiple themed spaces. 

Gamers will find The Flynn, a sleek and modern space; The Octagon, a lower-level bar with a contrasting vintage feel; and The Grid, a futuristic speakeasy inspired by the classic '80s sci-fi film Tron.

“We wanted to create a haven for arcade lovers and casual nostalgists alike, to get lost in the games of their youth within backdrop of a quirky, yet sophisticated space,” sfHEIMAT co-founders Eva Bradley and Alicia Lichtenstein said in the press release. “The idea was to create a space where people can travel through the entire bar while constantly exploring new spaces, discovering new games, and enjoying the environment they are in.”

They've also promised quirky surprises throughout the sprawling venue—like Star Wars tiki glasses, a room designed to serve as a mirrored photo booth, and restrooms decked out in Super Mario Brothers and Pac-Man decor.

The kitchen's menu, created by executive chef Mark Bolton, will feature wood-fired pizzas and a selection of bar bites, such as corn dogs, deviled eggs and chicken and waffles, to share.

Bolton, a California Culinary Academy graduate, previously spent two years at Swiss Lakewood Restaurant in Tahoe before serving as the executive chef for Wiskandladle Hospitality Group in Southern California. He later joined Ledo and Mahmood, overseeing the menus for The Lion's Share and the growing Coin-Op brand.

Hours at Coin-Op Game Room will be 4pm-2am Mondays through Fridays, and 12pm-2am Saturday and Sunday. The basement speakeasy, The Grid, will be accessible Thursdays through Sundays only.

And night owls will be happy to hear that the full menu will be served until 1am every day.