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.

29 Replies to "BIZNOTE: West Seattle Arcade on the way to Alki"

  • 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.

  • Jeff January 12, 2023 (6:24 pm)

    Second the beer request. Will that be the case?

  • Another Alki Mom January 13, 2023 (12:04 pm)

    This is the BEST news! We will definitely be there. And I’ll add my voice to the chorus requesting beer/cider!

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