BIZNOTE: West Seattle Arcade on the way to Alki

The “for lease” signs are down at long-vacant 2758 Alki Avenue SW, formerly home to Top Pot Doughnuts (which closed two years ago) on the left side and a variety of short-lived food businesses on the right side. We discovered the new plan via city permit filings: The combined 3,200-square-foot space will become West Seattle Arcade. The proprietor is West Seattle resident Elyssa Cichy, who explained when contacted via email, “West Seattle Arcade will be a family-focused, modern arcade with birthday party space and awesome video games for all ages. We are planning on opening this Spring. Our family has lived in West Seattle for over a dozen years, and we are excited to bring something new and special to our community.” You can watch westseattlearcade.com for updates. Alki has had a mini-boom in family-focused businesses in recent years, with additions such as Outer Space Seattle and Seattle Early Learning Center.

Alki mom January 10, 2023 (1:03 pm)

Wow, my Kids are going to be SO happy about this!!! haha, I see a lot of “can we go to the Arcade” in my future!

bloo January 10, 2023 (1:30 pm)

Yay, how fun! Now this may do well year-round, which is so crucial for a small business’s survival down here. I love the idea of having an arcade in my neighborhood. Welcome to Alki, West Seattle Arcade!

Torso_McTeague January 10, 2023 (2:20 pm)

Great news for WS. :) My family had a fun holiday at Dorky’s in Tacoma a few years ago and I love the idea of an all-ages space closer to home!

Amy January 10, 2023 (2:27 pm)

So happy to have the Cichy family back in the arcade business.

TJ January 10, 2023 (3:22 pm)

This will be a wonderful addition to the neighborhood. It’s nice to have more activities for people of all ages to enjoy.

Matt Karvonen January 10, 2023 (4:23 pm)

Please have Donkey Kong.

justind January 10, 2023 (4:58 pm)

I’ve noticed arcades evolving towards casinos for children. Kids pay for a chance at tickets. There’s hardly even a game involved for some of them. The arcade at Roxbury lanes has this kind of game almost exclusively. Hopefully, west seattle arcade doesn’t follow this business model.

WS Res January 10, 2023 (6:30 pm)

That’s hardly new. That’s the old Chuck E. Cheese etc. business model.
- Tim January 11, 2023 (8:59 pm)
  
  Yeah, how about taking it back even further– this is what carnival games have always been
Luke January 10, 2023 (6:43 pm)

That’s a really good point.
Judith January 13, 2023 (2:27 pm)

I’ve never been to a casino but loved arcades for earning tickets and here is some of ehat I learned:Delayed gratification.Calculating which games to play based upon my skills and the payout with the budget I had to spend at the arcade.Negotiating trades for sibling tickets ( I’ll do your chores this week if you give me # of tickets)

Batty January 10, 2023 (5:05 pm)

Awesome – can’t wait to check it out! Our kiddos are going to be pumped – will spread the word when this opens.

Higginshere January 10, 2023 (5:36 pm)

Please have beer.

Cassidy January 10, 2023 (5:55 pm)

Pinball machines please!

AlkiBean January 11, 2023 (8:50 am)

I second that!
Seaview January 11, 2023 (11:04 am)

Yes please!
Neighbor January 12, 2023 (10:54 am)

Yes please! Hopefully similar to the full tilt/ice box model of all ages until 8:00pm and 21-only after. Alki has no bar anymore so they could stay busy all day with a barcade model that works well all over town.

WS Res January 10, 2023 (6:32 pm)

While folks anticipate this opening, maybe it’s worth pointing out that Till Dawn on California at Dawson has a lot of video games to enjoy?

Alki82 January 11, 2023 (8:49 am)

Yes, this! Till Dawn is an awesome place to take your kiddos for fun arcade and video games! We have loved it every time we’ve gone!

Martin January 10, 2023 (7:18 pm)

Quarters arcade with a better view!! Let’s go cichys!

Laurie G January 10, 2023 (8:32 pm)

Hell yeah! So excited for this!

Mel January 11, 2023 (6:30 am)

Yes! Another place to have birthday parties in WS. We needed more options.

Mel January 11, 2023 (9:11 am)

As I already said, so happy about this. For as many kids as there are in WS, we really don’t have a lot of indoor activities for them compared to other neighborhoods. Hoping this continues as more families move to the area.

Dance games January 11, 2023 (9:22 am)

Fingers crossed for DDR!

Will-o-Wisp January 11, 2023 (12:06 pm)

I guess this means the second floor is complete enough so that the first floor can have businesses. I read in the WSB that was a reason Top Pot left.

WSB January 11, 2023 (4:00 pm)

We did not report that (nor did the company comment), but perhaps it was a comment.

Will-o-Wisp January 11, 2023 (4:39 pm)

You are most probably correct. That is a problem with my memory, it is much less 100% accurate. I am always impressed and thankful that you are very accurate in your reporting. The WSB is a gem in our community.