Nostalgia flows through the air of Chatham-Kent in the opening month of new arcade
Chatham-Kent became home to a new arcade centre in the last weekend of October. Located on 425 St. Clair St., the all-ages Barnetti’s Arcade Bar is equipped with 62 classic game machines, deep-fried foods and is licensed to serve alcohol.
Abiding by the mandated COVID-19 regulations, Barnetti’s maxes out at 50 customers and requires last-call at 11 p.m. With 17 active cases of COVID-19 and over 400 resolved ones in Chatham-Kent at the time of publication, the arcade is a type of business that some might be surprised to see budding during a pandemic.
Many people in Chatham-Kent have been longing for something to fill the void of community activity since the closure of the Wheels Inn, a hotel, arcade, and waterpark all-in-one. Serving as Chatham’s hub for four decades, the Inn shut-down in 2010 following the economic crash two years prior. Now, Barnetti’s strives to offer a place where anyone can go to spend time with friends and have fun.
The community of Chatham-Kent was hit hard with the loss, and since then has been no stranger to businesses rising and falling quickly.
A decade after the end of the Wheels Inn, Barnetti’s has emerged.
College student Aaren Laprise, 19, has gone without a job since the beginning of the pandemic. In an effort to make some extra money and obtain much-needed social interaction, she applied to Barnetti’s.
“I took a leave off of my previous job last July, and when the pandemic hit again, I couldn’t go back. After a while things got lonely, and I thought the arcade would be a fun place to be.”
Laprise is a jill of all trades, occupying positions of server, cashier, and game cleaner. She notes that job tasks during a pandemic are much different than the duties of her previous job. “Now we have a customer log at the front to track who comes in, and we have about eight sanitation spots within the building. It’s our responsibility to make sure every single game is wiped down after it’s used.”
Laprise says she’s looking forward to seeing what Barnetti’s develops into but thinks that the business still has improvements to make. “It’s a really cool place, but I wish it was more kid-friendly. Our customers are mainly adults right now. He [the owner] says he will change-out some of the games in a while, so I’m excited for that, too.”
“I want to give people a reason to stay in Chatham. Every little bit helps, and if we can keep people entertained long enough around here they’re going to stay around here.”
– Zach Trinetti
Zach Trinetti, owner of Barnetti’s, says that he’d been pondering opening an arcade for a long time. He collected vintage games as a hobby with his father, and eventually decided to take the leap and pursue his dream.
“It got to the point where, I was like, Chatham needs this. So I got a nice spot, cleaned it up, and it’s been a success since it started.”
Trinetti gained business experience from his father’s family-owned auto sale company. Despite the economic challenges of the pandemic, he says it didn’t deter him from opening the arcade. “Really I just believe in the economy. To be honest with you COVID-19 wasn’t a thought for me. Sometimes we get stressed out, and it is more work, but it’s completely manageable.” Trinetti says he ensures that the business is fully compliant with the mandated health and safety regulations in Chatham-Kent.
Remembering the Wheels Inn fondly, Trinetti hopes to capture the same admiration that people held for it. He also hopes to bring the community together in a time of isolation, and contribute to helping Chatham’s economy.
“I want to give people a reason to stay in Chatham. Every little bit helps, and if we can keep people entertained long enough around here they’re going to stay around here.”