Lucky Strike Entertainment Opens FTW Chicago Amid Much Hoopla

CHICAGO -- Lucky Strike Entertainment, which has made bowling cool again, is now looking to do the same with arcades. On Jun. 5, the company opened the doors of its FTW (For the Win) venue in Chicago. Located at 322 E. Illinois St., FTW merges state-of-the-art coin-op, "chef-driven" food and craft beers, along with a six-hole Chicago-themed miniature golf course.

The venue is housed in a 20,000-sq.ft. space featuring a "steampunk" design. On hand for the debut of the new arcade was Sega's Showdown racer, making its world debut. Embed's card systems are used on its 130 games, while the standard redemption counter is replaced by an 850-sq.ft. redemption store dubbed "The Payoff," which offers more than 250 prize SKUs.

With the opening of FTW, Lucky Strike has taken the concept of bowling center gameroom to the extreme, recasting it as a semi-autonomous "destination" -- more than just an amenity and ancillary profit center. Although designed similarly to a typical FEC and offering birthday party facilities, Lucky Strike appears to be going after the date-night club crowd with a 21-year-old and up policy after 8 p.m.

The facility has garnered enviable reviews from both the local media and social media. Whether the company seeks to expand the concept to other markets remains to be seen.

See interview with chief executive Steven Foster: