Time-Out was a chain of arcade locations located in shopping malls. The first location was opened in 1970 by Tico Bonomo, and became one of the most prevalent arcade chains in the United States shortly thereafter. The franchise and its branding was acquired by Namco Cybertainment (later known as Namco USA) in 1996, who rebranded the locations to have a Pac-Man theme.
Following the closure of Namco USA in 2021, the few remaining Time-Out locations were stripped of their original branding, and now operate under generic names.
History
Time-Out was first conceptualized by Tico Bonomo, a candy manufacturer whose family was connected to the launch of Turkish Taffy. In 1970, Bonomo sold the Turkish Taffy company to Tootsie Roll Industries; searching for further business ventures, he opened the initial "Time-Out Family Amusement Center" in Colonie, New York that same year. The first location was very successful, resulting in several more locations being opened throughout the 1970s. Time-Out's success continued following the launch of Atari's Pong in 1972, and was further strengthened by the popularity of video arcade games thereafter.
Time-Out managed to survive the video game crash of 1983, still having 70 operating locations by 1987. In 1992, the chain was purchased by the Edison Brothers company; which itself filed for bankruptcy in 1995. Namco (of Japan) purchased the Edison Brothers' entertainment division in their bankruptcy sale; resulting in Namco acquiring all Time-Out locations and branding.[1]
As with Namco Cybertainment's previously-acquired locations, each storefront was rebranded to feature elements related to Pac-Man. The main logo for the brand was changed to feature Pac-Man inside of a stopwatch, with his arms as the clock hands (similar to a Mickey Mouse watch). Locations would also feature Pac-Man-themed tokens, tickets, and arcade prizes; giant Pac-Man statues were also a common fixture.
By the 2010s, the majority of Time-Out locations had closed down, likely due to financial struggles; though the brand remained relatively active in Puerto Rico. Among the last known remaining U.S. locations was "Time Out at The Orleans Casino", located in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2021, following the closure of Namco USA, the majority of remaining locations were acquired by CTM Group; they remain in operation under the name "At the Pier Arcade", with all Time-Out and Pac-Man branding removed. The Las Vegas location was acquired by National Entertainment Network (also known as Sugar Loaf), and now operates under the generic title "The Arcade at The Orleans Casino".[2]
Trivia
- The Edison Brothers company also owned the "Dave & Buster's" franchise from 1989 to 1995. However, Dave & Buster's was spun off into a separate company prior to the bankruptcy sale, and as such, was not part of Namco's acquisition.
Gallery
References
Sources
- "Time-Out Tunnel - History" (arcadecontrols.com)