Joey "The Cat" Mucha is rolling his Skee-Ball empire out of the warehouse shadows and into the Mission District this week. What began in 2008 as a single machine wedged into a Bernal Heights apartment has grown into a full-service arcade, photobooth, and events operation. The Mission space has long hosted private parties and repairs; starting tomorrow, Mucha is turning on the lights for weekly league nights open to the public.
The Mission Arcade fills a 2,700-square-foot former auto shop and will host regular tomorrow night "skee-son" league play, with a matchmaking night for three-person teams kicking things off this Thursday, according to SFGATE. Mucha spent several years grinding through permits and construction before the building was ready for guests. The new spot slides into a growing local lineup of arcade bars and event venues that combine old-school games with full bars and private bookings.
A Former Auto Shop At 19th And Shotwell
Mucha's family has owned the building since 2014, and he transformed the Mission address into a repair hub and private-event venue, according to Eater SF. The site at 3252 19th Street has served as storage, a workshop and a launching pad for machines placed around the city. Centralizing repairs and photobooth builds at one permanent location helped Mucha grow his rentals into a broader hospitality business.
From One Lane To A Citywide Route
Mucha says he scored his first Skee-Ball machine on eBay in 2008 and started renting it out for parties and bar nights. That side gig turned into a route serving multiple venues across California. His own site lists three national Brewskee-Ball championships and a reclaimed world title in 2021, winnings he used to buy more machines and build out the brand. The rental and photobooth revenue helped bankroll the Mission Arcade while he worked through city approvals and construction snags.
What’s Inside And Who’s Running It
The floor is lined with vintage Model S Skee-Ball lanes alongside classic video cabinets, and there is a full bar with a cocktail menu created by Cavaña bartender Sam Diaz, according to SFGATE. SFGATE also reports that the kitchen is led by chef Jessica Sullivan and that private-event pricing generally starts around $100 per person for food, drinks and game time. For now, Mucha is keeping regular public hours tight while using Thursday nights to bring competitive league play into the neighborhood.
Mucha describes the Mission Arcade as both a competitive home base and a straightforward business move: practice sessions and tournament play paid for new machines, and the venue now folds rentals, photobooths and private events into one address, according to his site. That combination of nostalgic games, a staffed bar and bundled event packages is how he says he plans to keep the numbers working while raising a family in San Francisco. If this Thursday’s skee-son opener draws a crowd, the Mission could be looking at its next late-night staple.
