MESA, AZ — Among the breweries, restaurants, and shops in downtown Mesa will soon be an arcade bar with pinball machines and arcade games, marking the latest business to open along Main Street.
Level 1 Arcade Bar, which opened in 2019 in downtown Gilbert, recently announced that it is opening a second location -- and its largest location -- on Main Street, between MacDonald and Drew Street, not far from 12 West Brewing Co. and Que Chevere.
Co-owner TJ Tillman told ABC15 in an email that the Mesa location would be more than double the size of the Gilbert location at 6,000-square-feet and will have two floors, each with its own bar and games.
It will also allow them to have a dance floor and more beer taps -- 30 taps compared to 20 at Gilbert.
"Downtown Mesa is starting to become very popular," Tillman wrote. "There are some great developments happening down there that the city has been working on for some time. You have some awesome unique and local restaurants and bars...and we love the character of the area."
The arcade bar is projected to open in January 2022, he said, but the timeline would become more concrete once construction begins.
Downtown Mesa has long been home to an eclectic mix of businesses, music venues, restaurants, and antique shops. Worth Takeaway, Oro Valley Brewing, Desert Eagle Brewing Company, Cider Corps., and the Nile Theatre have been downtown for years.
In recent months and years, several new businesses have opened downtown, including Myke's Pizza, Que Chevere, Tacos Chiwas, Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken, and Novel Ice Cream.
And others are in the works.
Tempe-based Pedal Haus Brewery plans to open a biergarten downtown and Proof Bread is currently building their commercial bakery next to its market, Main Street Harvest.
For those looking for places to play games in the meantime, there is Engame Bar, Silver Key Lounge, The Grid, and Starfighters Arcade in Mesa.
