# PINBALLZ LAKE CREEK **Source:** Pinball News Website **Type:** article **Published:** 2017-04-26 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2017/04/26/pinballz-lake-creek --- ## Analysis Pinball News documents the March 2017 opening of Pinballz Lake Creek, the third location of the Pinballz Arcade chain in Austin, Texas. The 77-game venue combines pinball machines spanning multiple eras with a full-service bar (Mikki's Tavern), arcade video games, laser tag, and redemption machines. The location represents the chain's expansion strategy, with future Dallas area location planned. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Pinballz Lake Creek opened in May 2016 as the third Pinballz location — _Article states 'in May 2016 the Lake Creek branch became the third Pinballz operation'_ - [HIGH] The venue features 77 playable pinball machines — _Article provides complete inventory: 'Here's the list of the 77 pinballs we recorded on this visit'_ - [HIGH] Pricing is 75 cents or $1 per three-ball game using quarters or tokens — _Pinballz uses a nice dual coinage system where either quarters or tokens can be used. Prices are typically either 75c or $1 per three-ball game_ - [HIGH] The venue is located in Lake Creek Festival shopping centre between Burlington Coat Factory and Hobby Lobby — _this third Pinballz is a mere nine miles further north than the original location and can be found in the heart of the Lake Creek Festival shopping centre, nestled between a Burlington Coat Factory and a Hobby Lobby_ - [MEDIUM] Pinballz management is considering opening a fourth location in the Dallas area — _we understand thoughts of a fourth location are centred on the Dallas area, around a three-hour drive north_ ### Notable Quotes > "When the original Pinballz Arcade opened in Austin, Texas, in 2010, we were one of the first to tell the world about the amazing selection of pinballs and other arcade games bought and set-up in a bespoke gameroom by Darren and Mikki Spohn." > — **Pinball News**, Introduction > _Establishes Pinball News's role in documenting the Pinballz brand's early history and legitimizes their coverage_ > "If you have been to either of the other two Pinballz businesses then the sight as you walk through the doors will be a familiar one. Rows of top pinballs stand waiting for you as you come in, with large single piece arcade games off to the side." > — **Pinball News**, Venue description > _Describes consistent design and layout philosophy across Pinballz locations_ > "The location is the best of the three branches as far as local shops and amenities are concerned – there are numerous shops, restaurants and even a movie theatre in the same complex – so it certainly should be an attractive destination." > — **Pinball News**, Conclusion > _Identifies Lake Creek location as strategically superior due to foot traffic and retail proximity compared to other Pinballz branches_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Pinballz Arcade | organization | Multi-location pinball arcade chain in Austin, Texas area founded by Darren and Mikki Spohn in 2010 | | Pinballz Lake Creek | location | Third Pinballz location opened May 2016 at Lake Creek Festival shopping center in Austin, Texas | | Darren Spohn | person | Co-founder/owner of Pinballz Arcade chain | | Mikki Spohn | person | Co-founder/owner of Pinballz Arcade chain; Mikki's Tavern named after her | | Mikki's Tavern and Wine Bar | location | Bar and dining venue integrated into Pinballz Lake Creek, serving 30 draft beers and full food menu | | Pinballz Kingdom | location | Second Pinballz location, approximately 15 miles south of original Austin arcade | | Galaxy Warz | game/attraction | Laser tag room located at Pinballz Lake Creek | | Lake Creek Festival shopping centre | location | Shopping complex in Austin, Texas housing Pinballz Lake Creek between Burlington Coat Factory and Hobby Lobby | | Pinball News | organization | Pinball media outlet documenting venue openings and pinball industry; published this feature in March 2017 | | Addams Family | game | Classic pinball machine in Pinballz Lake Creek collection | | Medieval Madness Remake | game | Modern remake of classic pinball title in venue collection | | Pinbot | game | Williams pinball machine in Pinballz Lake Creek collection | ### Topics - **Primary:** Venue expansion and location strategy, Pinball arcade operations and business model, Game collection curation and diversity - **Secondary:** Integrated entertainment venues (pinball + bar + arcade), Austin, Texas as pinball market, Game pricing and coinage systems - **Mentioned:** Venue maintenance and presentation ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.85) — Pinball News presents comprehensive, favorable coverage of Pinballz Lake Creek. Tone is descriptive and appreciative of the venue's collection, facilities, and business execution. No criticisms or complaints noted. Subtle optimism about expansion prospects. ### Signals - **[business_signal]** Pinballz management actively pursuing expansion with fourth location planned in Dallas area, indicating business health and operator confidence in market (confidence: medium) — we understand thoughts of a fourth location are centred on the Dallas area, around a three-hour drive north - **[event_signal]** Pinball News actively documenting commercial pinball venues and their evolution; evidence of media coverage infrastructure supporting operator visibility (confidence: high) — When the original Pinballz Arcade opened in Austin, Texas, in 2010, we were one of the first to tell the world about the amazing selection - **[event_signal]** Pinballz Lake Creek location opened May 2016, documented March 2017 by Pinball News; represents documented growth of commercial pinball arcade operator (confidence: high) — in May 2016 the Lake Creek branch became the third Pinballz operation - **[market_signal]** Austin area pinball arcade market is well-served with multiple competing venues; expansion strategy focuses on geographic distribution (north/south/central) to capture different customer bases (confidence: medium) — The Austin area is very well served, so we understand thoughts of a fourth location are centred on the Dallas area --- ## Transcript **Date:** March 2017 **Location:** 13729 Research Blvd., Austin, TX 78750, USA When the original Pinballz Arcade opened in Austin, Texas, in 2010, we were one of the first to [tell the world](https://www.pinballnews.com/sites/pinballz/) about the amazing selection of pinballs and other arcade games bought and set-up in a bespoke gameroom by Darren and Mikki Spohn. After a couple of years establishing the business and preparing for growth, they opened their second location – [Pinballz Kingdom](https://www.pinballnews.com/sites/pinballzkingdom/) – situated around fifteen miles south of Austin. Although there is some development work to complete at Pinballz Kingdom to finish the transformation from truck stop to pinball and arcade heaven, that hasn’t stopped the push to open a third location, and in May 2016 the Lake Creek branch became the third Pinballz operation. ![Pinballz Lake Creek](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/1.jpg) *Pinballz Lake Creek* While the first two Pinballz business are positioned to the north and south of Austin in rather isolated locations, this third Pinballz is a mere nine miles further north than the original location and can be found in the heart of the Lake Creek Festival shopping centre, nestled between a Burlington Coat Factory and a Hobby Lobby. If you have been to either of the other two Pinballz businesses then the sight as you walk through the doors will be a familiar one. Rows of top pinballs stand waiting for you as you come in, with large single piece arcade games off to the side. ![The view as you enter Pinballz Lake Creek](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/2.jpg) *The view as you enter Pinballz Lake Creek* Two rows of around eighteen pinballs lead from the entry desk to the back of the building. ![The left bank of pinballs](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/4.jpg) *The left bank of pinballs* ![The right bank](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/3.jpg) *The right bank* While these games might be considered a excellent collection by themselves, there are several rows more to explore. ![More pinballs](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/5.jpg) *More pinballs…* ![...and more, including the two High Speed games and both Pinball 2000s](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/6.jpg) *…and more, including the two High Speed games and both Pinball 2000s* Pinballz uses a nice dual coinage system where either quarters or tokens can be used. Prices are typically either 75c or $1 per three-ball game. Replays can be won, as can extra balls, and the settings on the games we played seemed to be moderate to easy. Beyond these rows of pinballs lies the newest Mikki’s Tavern and Wine Bar – the Pinballz bar and diner. ![Behind the pinballs is Mikki's Tavern](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/7.jpg) *Behind the pinballs is Mikki’s Tavern* ![Mikki's Tavern](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/8.jpg) *Mikki’s Tavern* Any modern bar has to offer a wide range of local and guest craft beers, and Mikki’s Tavern is no different, offering thirty draft beers alongside a comprehensive selection of bottled beers, spirits and soft drinks. ![The thirty beer taps ](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/9.jpg) *The thirty beer taps* They also serve a full menu of classic bar snacks and meals, including pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, salads, wings and BBQ dishes. You can check out the full menu [here](http://www.pinballzarcade.com/eat-drink/mikkis-tavern-wine-bar). Because our time here was fairly brief we didn’t get the opportunity to try any of the food or beverages, although the both looked highly tempting. Move right from the Tavern and we find… yet more pinballs. ![The second group of pinballs begins](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/10.jpg) *The second group of pinballs begins* ![Some older machines](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/11.jpg) *Some older machines* ![Some more unusual titles including Lights! Camera! Action! and Time Machine](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/12.jpg) *Some more unusual titles including Lights! Camera! Action! and Time Machine* Here’s the list of the 77 pinballs we recorded on this visit: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | --- | | Addams Family, The | | America’s Most Haunted | | Barb Wire | | Baywatch | | Big Hurt, Matt Frank Thomas’s | | Black Knight | | Black Knight 2000 | | Black Rose | | Bow and Arrow | | Breakshot | | Bride of Pinbot, The Machine | | Capt. Fantastic & the Brown Dirt Cowboy | | Champion Pub, The | | Creature from the Black Lagoon | | Cue Ball Wizard | | Cyclone | | Defender | | Doctor Who | | Dr. Dude | | Dracula, Bram Stoker’s | | Dungeons and Dragons | | Earthshaker! | | Elvis | | Fire! | | Firepower | | Fish Tales | | Flash | | Flintstones, The | | Frankenstein, Mary Shelley’s | | Freddy: A Nightmare on Elm Street | | Funhouse | | Getaway, The: High Speed 2 | | Gilligan’s Island | | Grand Lizard | | Guns ‘N Roses | | Haunted House | | Hercules | | High Speed | | Hook | | | | | --- | | Independence Day | | Indianapolis 500 | | Johnny Mnemonic | | Jokerz! | | Judge Dredd | | Jurassic Park | | Kiss (Bally) | | Laser War | | Lethal Weapon 3 | | Lights! Camera! Action! | | Mata Hari | | Maverick | | Medieval Madness Remake | | Meteor | | Party Zone, The | | Pinbot | | Pistol Poker | | Playboy (Stern) | | Pool Sharks | | Revenge from Mars | | Ripley’s Believe it or Not! | | Roadshow | | Rollercoaster Tycoon | | Shrek | | Simpsons Pinball Party, The | | South Park | | Spider-Man | | Star Trek Premium | | Star Trek: The Next Generation | | Star Wars (DE) | | Star Wars Episode 1 | | Starship Troopers | | Street Fighter 2 | | Tales from the Crypt | | Theatre of Magic | | Time Machine | | Twilight Zone | | Who Dunnit? | | Most of the remainder of the floor space is taken up by large arcade video games, from single-person drivers to collaborate shooters, taking in dance machines and giant LED display versions of classic titles. ![Dance and driving games in the video section](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/13.jpg) *Dance and driving games in the video section* ![Skee-balls alongside collaborative shooter games](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/14.jpg) *Skee-balls alongside collaborative shooter games* ![Giant Space Invaders Frenzy](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/17.jpg) *Giant Space Invaders Frenzy* But giant games weren’t the preserve of the video and redemption realms. Pinball had a game to offer in that category too. ![Hercules by Atari](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/18.jpg) *Hercules by Atari* ![Large redemption pieces](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/19.jpg) *Large redemption pieces* ![Redemption means tickets, and tickets mean prizes](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/15.jpg) *Redemption means tickets, and tickets mean prizes* ![More large skill-based games](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/20.jpg) *More large skill-based games* We said earlier that most of the floor space is given over to pinballs and arcade games, but Pinballz Lake Creek also has a room dedicated to playing laser tag. ![The Galaxy Warz laser tag room](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/21.jpg) *The Galaxy Warz laser tag room* One thing you might have noticed in our pictures is the lack of customers. Our visit was just after lunch on a Wednesday afternoon in March, which is far from prime-time and outside any school holidays. So, we don’t know how busy Pinballz gets on Friday nights or at the weekend. Pinballz Lake Creek opens from 10am until midnight during the week, and stays open until 2am on Friday and Saturday nights. The location is the best of the three branches as far as local shops and amenities are concerned – there are numerous shops, restaurants and even a movie theatre in the same complex – so it certainly should be an attractive destination. Pinballz itself has good lighting, great games and looks attractive, from the clean surfaces, well-maintained pinballs and the custom carpet design. ![The carpet design at Pinballz](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/pinballz-lake-creek/16.jpg) *The carpet design at Pinballz* The Pinballz operation seems to be going from strength to strength. The Austin area is very well served, so we understand thoughts of a fourth location are centred on the Dallas area, around a three-hour drive north. With such a great mix of games, food and drinks, we look forward to visiting that branch as soon as it opens. _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 5ae37f31-1643-4c7c-9c57-5e8e880cc23e*