DeLeo's Pizza/Arcade, Woodbury/Oakdale MN

[RJ]

My son dropped to (but is currently holding) 2nd place in the Indiana Jones pinball kids contest.

[david_mn]

Were you there last night RJ? I was there with the family last night. I saw a multiple families who had two young boys with them, but the kids were running around so much I couldn't really tell who was with who. Also, none of the kids touched the pinball machines so I figured it probably wasn't you.

Edited February 19, 2013 by david_mn

[RJ]

Youre right, it wasnt us, but we should go back within 10 days to solidify my boy's place in the pinball contest.

 

[david_mn]

So, how did your son fare in the pinball contest for February?

[RJ]

Wow we forgot all about that & didnt get back again! Theyve already updated their website, the GOTM is Mario Bros (I'll have to get there for that one!) I couldnt find the final results anywhere so I wrote to them on Facebook. Maybe I'll just stop in & see whats happening. We could come home that way after our Home Depot project tomorrow morning.

 

Thanks for reminding me!

 

EDIT: they got back to me via Facebook pretty quick, looks like he dropped to 3rd place. I wont remind him we forgot to go back to try to better his score. (oops) I'm not sure he wouldve done any better anyway, I think his high score was a fluke but I know he got it himself. Maybe he hit an instant bonus or something, Im not familiar with the game. Hey 2 other kids under 9 mustve done it too!

 

I dont know what the runners-up get, IIRC it's a lunch item or something.

Edited March 1, 2013 by RJ

[RJ]

DeLeos in a couple hours! Going to redeem our sons prize. Im having the Super DeLeo grinder & playing Mario Bros.

 

 

But hmmm...buffalo chicken pizza, grinder, or salad at a discount? Decisions decisions...

Edited March 4, 2013 by RJ

[RJ]

Hey david_mn, good to finally meet, sorry we had to leave so quick, wife insists she told me we had to buy boys' shoes. I'm pretty sure she didnt. I wanted to play a game or two w/ you or at least talk a bit more.

 

JFTR 3rd prize was a free lunch buffet, but the owner was nice enough to change it to a free pizza buffet right then & there. My other boy got 4 mill on Indiana Jones! I got top score on GOTM Mario Bros, Donkey Kong (not very good), & Dig Dug. Seems Dig Dug always gives you 2 credits per coin.

 

Anyway, hope to see you there again sometime.

 

PS- they dont usually eat chips off the floor, but they WERE our chips.

[david_mn]

Hey RJ, good to meet you too. I didn't think that was you, but when my wife said something about the boy at the counter winning some sort of prize I realized I was wrong. Otherwise I would have introduced myself sooner.

 

I didn't actually play any games last night.

 

I'm sure we'll run into each other again.

 

p.s. I always tune out when it comes to shoe shopping too.

[RJ]

Well their site doesnt yet list the top 3 scores for Mario Bros GOTM. Last time I visited I scored around 122K. Wazzup DeLeos?

 

Guess I'll have to visit before April.

[david_mn]

We were there last night. We left just as a huge birthday party was coming in, so we timed that right.

 

They got rid of the Simpsons game in the front entryway and moved Galaga there. In the open space in the dining room they have a new pinball machine. Star Wars the Phantom Menace. The little Jar Jar Binks figure in the machine has been replaced by a rubber duck.

[RJ]

Oh man my boys will flip when they see that! I saw they moved Galaga but didnt know theyd got rid of Simpsons. Guess S1500 got his wish for more pinball. The owner told me others were asking for more pins too.

 

We'll be visiting this week to solidify my Mario Bros score.

 

[RJ]

We went back that Thurs but I didnt have to play Mario Bros. The high scores were really low, lower than mine (top was 36,000) but mine wasnt up there. I asked the owner (I should really find out his name), he remembered me & my score. He seemed confident I'd win even though there were a few days left, but their website scores never got updated (that whole page needs updating), not even as of today. so hopefully I got a free lunch buffet coming my way. I thought most contest winners swooped in on the last few days of the month to get their scores.

 

PS- my boys didnt seem too thrilled about the Star Wars pinball, the right flipper was sticky. Strage since it combines 2 things they really like.

Edited April 2, 2013 by RJ

[RJ]

Stopped in around 11 for the contest results, i took 2nd place & won a free 14" 2 topping pizza! Spoke extensively to the owner again, lots going on. I told him I post here often about his restaurant, he appreciates it & gave me the ok to write the following:

 

1st, he said he's done as far as adding games (but ok with still changing them out). That said, he has 4 pins & wants to host tournaments. IIRC he said hes coordinating with an organization to facilitate this. He said the pins are very popular, & I said I constantly hear people wishing for arcades to come back again, & his place is the closest I find. He mentioned his trip to Ground Kontrol in OR & that kindof was the impetus for his place.

 

A new lease on the games themselves allows in privately/home-owned games for 3 months, splitting profits 50/50 with the game's owner. He said he used to do this but the company leasing the games didnt like it. Apparently thats changed. I offered my Xevious coinop if I ever get bored of it. Gonna be hell getting it out of my basement.

 

Discussed expansion with the Woodbury Cafe next door. They have unused space he wants, & he could put the games between the 2 businesses, as a shared arcade. Dont know progress (if any) on this but he'd really like to expand.

 

So yeah, thriving business; seems lots going on & seeing good things for this great place.

Edited April 5, 2013 by RJ

[S1500]

Sounds good to hear. The 50/50 business model seems like a neat idea. If you have a pin or an arcade cab & want to make money with it, without the crazy amounts of overhead. A friend of mine knows someone that wants one of his pins at his establishment. Problem is, he's not an operator. I think it was RetroGamingRoundup that once talked about the hoops you have to jump through for to be an operator. Insurance, licenses, and all that. Someone should write a solid business plan to do that.

 

Rusty Quarters had a delay in opening since they had to wait to get their permits. Of course, that was just the beginning of their problems.

[RJ]

Whups, forgot- they're also getting a jukebox- hopefully full of 80s tunes.

[RJ]

Plannimg Thurs dinner there with my boys to claim my dinner prize!

[david_mn]

We were there on Tuesday night. The blackboard was empty. I don't know if they've got a game of the month for April.

[RJ]

Yes my son pointed out the blank board too. The owner wasnt there tonight, Im told hes taking a lot of time off lately.

 

It was packed tonight, a Woodbury little league baseball team was in there, & DeLeos was donating 15% of its sales to the team. I felt like a jerk claiming my free food (but we live in Oakdale, so why fund the other guys?)

 

Also I made a mistake by telling them I won the March contest, then later recalled I'd only taken 2nd place. I told the lady my error, but she was very nice in letting it slide, claiming they needed a more organized GOTM system (without the owner there, they actually knew nothing about it). So my kids & I ate most of an 18" 2-topper with a side of garlic knots, plus free drinks.

 

God I love that place.

[S1500]

Any ETA on the expansion? BTW the business model of "leased machines" on the premises, where Operator A's machines is on Operator B's premises is a business model in progress at another place.

 

You think about it. What would earn more money? 2 machines in 2 separate locations, or 2 machines(or beyond) in the same location?

[RJ]

Any ETA on the expansion?

 

Nope, like I said above, the owner wasnt there tonight & he's the only one I talk to about such stuff (seems like everyone else is just a paid employee). I havent talked to him since April 5th.

[RJ]

UPDATE: I'll try to list all the changes...

 

2 hanging "sports" TVs gone, they got a TouchTunes jukebox in place of the change machine, so I guess you go up to the food counter to get quarters now. The jukebox cost $1 a song; I looked thru the entire selection & didnt see any I liked, INCLUDING 80s songs. My wife chose a Daughtry track & declared the jukebox a bad idea. Also, the song plays back too quiet. I dont see that thing making any $$$ for them, better to put in another game.

 

Star Wars Ep 1 pin moved to the back room by Galaga, Arkanoid takes its place out front. All other machines remain. Didnt see the owner again to talk to him. They recently announced the position of a new manager but IDK whom he was or if he was there.

 

Games had steady play by adults & kids alike. 2 guys were playing Indiana Jones pinball, one seemed to be teaching the game to the other, explaining the subtleties/nuances/bonuses etc. to the other, basically walking him thru gameplay. My son watched, enthralled. Found out how he probably scored so high in that contest, seems there's a selectable "Cairo Swordsman" bonus that scores quite high if you hit it quick enough. Pretty sure my boy picked it coimcidentally. Anyway the guys were very polite toward us hanging out by them & very helpful too.

 

Got top scores in Mario Bros & Dig Dug (once again set on free play), & ranked 8th in Centipede, which needs monitor adjustment.

 

Oh, there doesnt seem to be a Game of the Month contest anymore, the big board was (still?) blank & no game had any indication as being the GOTM.

Edited June 17, 2013 by RJ

[david_mn]

Sadly, we haven't been there all summer. Not sure why.

[RJ]

I dont recall when we were there last either, probably on my last lengthy post above. It's there or Red Robin for my upcoming birthday dinner, but my kids are leaning toward burgers. Plus my wife doesnt like it because it's a fun place & I enjoy it there.

 

But I still talk it up to people when the subject arises.

Edited September 4, 2013 by RJ

[RJ]

With upcoming kids' school conferences in a couple weeks or so, I'll likely be responsible for dinner that evening & we'll probably hit up DeLeo's. Been forever since we visited.

[RJ]

A heads-up! My boys & I plan to be there Thurs for dinner. Stop by & say hi & play some classic arcade games!