How Darrt Amusement Became A Local Legend In Upstate New York Coin-Op Market

Randy Bergman

Bergman's timing was good. He got started in coin-op during the birth of the "Golden Age" of jukeboxes. Those were the days when jukebox play of music recorded on 10" 78-rpm shellac discs could make or break a song or a performer (who now was a "recording artist"). Nearly as important as radio play, jukes were viewed as a powerful promotional tool for live performances, home record sales and even sheet music. Little wonder, then, that his son Roy's first job in the industry was picking up the music industry's star performers at the airport to visit the one-stop and local jukebox operations.

Before long, Bergman added an equipment distributorship, Sheldon Sales, which represented the jukebox lines of local manufacturer Wurlitzer, based in nearby North Tonawanda, as well as Seeburg and National Automatic Music Co., which later became AMi. Over time, he added to Sheldon's offerings full-line vending equipment, flipper games and novelty coin-op amusements, like fortuneteller machines.

By 1952, Roy had taken over the business. Another son, Robert, died in the Korean War that same year. The distributorship closed in 1962, but the route remained, run by Al Bergman Jr. Today, third-generation Bob and Randy Bergman operate the route, now called now called Darrt Amusement, which has become legendary in upstate New York.

"My dad took over the original route and added to it," Randy recalled. "Then he broke off on his own in 1952, and 1955 changed its name to Darrt. It was run as a family business in 1952, and we're still going today. Last year, we welcomed in my brother Bob's oldest daughter, Rachael. That makes it four generations."

Today, Darrt is still based in Buffalo and operates a diverse business that encompasses pool tables, skill cranes, electronic dartboards and pinball machines, along with ATMs and bulk venders. After running dart leagues for several years, the company recently expanded its coin-op sports programs with pool leagues administered through the Valley National 8-Ball League Association.

Founded nearly 40 years ago by equipment manufacturer Valley-Dynamo, VNEA leagues and tournaments have become essential tools for established operators like those at Darrt, who want to prevent location-owned billiards equipment and add value to their service. VNEA pool is mandatorily played on operator-owned "bar box" coin-operated tables, which typically measure 7' by 3.5' -- considerably smaller than the 9' by 4.5' regulation tables used in many professional tournaments and by some amateur leagues. As of last year, VNEA reported close to 100,000 members who participated in 1,400 weekly local leagues hosted by 10,000 bars and pool halls, among other venues.

Covering three counties and serving locations within a 60-mile radius, Bob and Randy report that some of the locations they serve are second- or even third-generation customers. "We mostly do taverns, but we have some national accounts, primarily chain restaurants," Bob told VT. "We're big enough to purchase new equipment, but small enough to maintain a personal touch. My brother and I call on all of our accounts; we know all of the owners on a first-name basis."

This kind of reputation-building personal service extends to driving to a location to change out a jukebox computer at 2 a.m. to keep the party going, or braving Buffalo blizzard conditions to make sure a league event has finished and been recorded.

LEAGUE PLAY:Robert Bergman readies electronic dart games for installation. He is a third-generation partner in Darrt Amusement, which has been serving the Buffalo, NY, market since 1952.

Today, music is still a critical component of the company and a particular point of pride. Darrt operates TouchTunes digital downloading jukeboxes exclusively, and exerts extra effort to make location owners and managers aware of the special promotions offered by the music provider. The company's entire fleet, 35% of which includes the newest Virtuo and Playdium boxes, runs the latest platform that supports the TouchTunes mobile app. The Bergmans also take extra care when it comes to the quality of the sound. "In our heart of hearts, we still think of ourselves as jukebox men," Bob said. "It's important to me that, when we do an installation, we deliver the best sound experience we can give them. Our revenue and reputation is primarily derived from the music experience we offer."

This means taking time to assess the room, noting the height of the ceiling and how "hard" it is, and observing where in the venue people are likely to congregate. "By putting the right speakers in the right places in right way, and using them to their fullest potential, we can achieve sound that's very good," he said. "I like to use a lot of speakers for a location, but I don't want to bludgeon them with high volume. Patrons can listen to the music at a reasonable sound level."

Although the company has acquired competing routes over the years, the owners have worked hard to maintain a size that allows for fast, personal attention to client requirements. "We're there when you need service," Randy said. "I don't think anyone is any better to their customers than we are. We wouldn't be in business for over 60 years, if we weren't doing something right."

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