Small retro arcade in a rented unit

Families, teens, birthday party hosts, retro gaming fans and groups looking for an indoor activity, especially in cold or wet weather.

Pay-per-play or timed and all-day passes, birthday party packages, and snack or drink sales. Some owners also run tournaments and private hires.

• Customer service
• Basic repair and maintenance of machines
• Budgeting and managing premises
• Local marketing

• Check whether your municipality requires an amusement or business licence, and whether zoning allows an arcade in your chosen unit
• Fire code, occupancy limits and accessibility rules for the space, check with your municipal building and fire departments
• Redemption, prize and crane games may fall under provincial gaming or lottery rules, check with your provincial regulator
• Commercial general liability insurance and a plan for supervising children
• Music in the venue may need licensing, check SOCAN and Re:Sound requirements
• Food or drink sales need a permit from your local public health unit
• Quebec has its own rules and French-language requirements
• Machines break down and a lease is a long commitment, so keep a repair budget
• Revenue depends heavily on location and foot traffic, so test your assumptions against rent and machine costs before signing a lease

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $40,000 to $200,000, depending on your unit, how many machines you buy and the set-up. Machines break down and a lease is a long commitment, so keep a repair budget.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $5,000 to $25,000, depending heavily on your location and foot traffic. Test your assumptions against rent and machine costs before signing a lease.

Check whether your municipality requires an amusement or business licence and whether zoning allows an arcade. Also check fire code and occupancy rules, provincial gaming rules for redemption or crane games, music licensing (SOCAN, Re:Sound), liability insurance and food permits.