North Beach has a new place to drop a quarter — or rather, a flat $20 — for a night of retro gaming. Flynn's Arcade & Bar opened at 8900 Chesapeake Ave. in the former Metropolitan Appliances building, bringing arcade cabinets, retro consoles, pool tables and a full bar to the small Calvert County town. The business held its grand opening weekend Saturday and Sunday, October 24–25, 2026, drawing arcade fans alongside local officials for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting.
The venue is run by three community friends identified as Cisco, LJ and Matt, operating through North Beach Entertainment LLC, according to The BayNet. The opening lineup includes 12 full-size arcade cabinets, three of which pack more than 20 games apiece, plus retro consoles including Sega Genesis, Nintendo GameCube and original Xbox systems. Flynn's own website advertises more than 15 classic and modern arcade titles available to play.
Admission runs $20, and once inside, the games themselves are set to free play — no need to keep feeding machines once you're through the door. Four 7-foot pool tables are available separately for $12 an hour. The bar pours beer, wine, cocktails and nonalcoholic drinks, and there's a stage built for live bands and DJs. Customers can bring their own outside food, and the venue also stocks vending-machine snacks for anyone who doesn't want to leave mid-game.
Pinball Still On Its Way
Not everything made it in time for opening weekend. Pinball machines were delayed and will be installed at a later date, the venue told Amusements & Attractions, after the ordered tables didn't arrive in time. The same report noted that owners Francisco, LJ and Matt raised more than $13,000 through crowdfunding to help get the project off the ground, with 44 backers signing on in just two days and eight hours.
For now, the arcade floor leans on its console and cabinet lineup rather than pinball, and operating updates are expected to be posted at flynnsarcademd.com as the business settles in. Flynn's has also set age policies for its floor: no one under 21 is permitted after 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and anyone under 14 must be accompanied by an adult, per the venue's own hours and info page.
More Than A Year In The Making
Flynn's didn't come together overnight. The project spent more than a year in development before opening, with the team announcing its lease in April 2025 and identifying the former appliance store as its chosen location the following month. Development began in 2025 and the venue received preliminary approval that May, according to Amusements & Attractions.
The path to opening also ran through North Beach's local approval process. Flynn's received a recommendation from the North Beach Planning Commission at its Jan. 22 meeting after updating its fire-safety plan to account for furniture and seating, the same outlet reported in an earlier story on the commission's approval. Businesses opening to the public in Calvert County are also required to secure a use and occupancy permit issued by the county's Inspections and Permits office, per Calvert County's government site.
Local Officials Turn Out For Ribbon-Cutting
Grand opening weekend wasn't just about free-play cabinets and cocktails — it doubled as a small civic event. Attendees included Mayor Mike Benton, North Beach Town Council members, county commissioners, candidates and representatives of Visit Calvert County, who joined arcade fans for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Flynn's has said it aims to provide entertainment in North Beach while being a good neighbor to the surrounding community.
