A new age of entrepreneurs across the country have redefined the bar scene, and local business owner Troy Allen leads the way with PINS Mechanical and his first concept 16 Bit Bar + Arcade. It’s more than just drinks and conversation. Rise Brands—the parent company of PINS and 16 Bit—created a social gathering place that connects people in a non-traditional and playful way. Allen provided a little tour of PINS, and we want to give one of our readers a chance to play some Duckpin Bowling on us so keep on reading to find out how to enter to win a gift card from PINS.
Allen didn’t start out wanting to be a bar owner. He and his team build brands, and they saw a gap in the market. “We wanted to create alternatives in downtown,” Allen says, “I wanted to be part of the revitalization of a neighborhood or be an up and coming part of a city.”
That’s exactly what has happened. Check out the crowds at 16-bit at Fourth and Main or PINS at Fourth and Long. Allen says that his guests stay an average of three hours per visit. “Downtown is gaining density with a younger demographic but also empty nesters, and they’re looking for fun things to do.”
Walk inside PINS and find a well-planned and executed environment that offers old-school entertainment, culinary exploration and creative craft cocktails—all designed to redefine what a night out on the town looks like. Outside, guests also find spacious patios and plenty of food truck nosh.
It took 12-18 months to find the perfect downtown location for PINS, but patience paid off when he developed a partnership with the family who owned the Fourth and Long Street National Tire and Battery store for multiple generations. Allen has such fondness for the family that he created a history picture gallery in Pins, paying homage to the family and the building’s previous uses.
Both PINS and 16 Bit concepts experienced such success, Allen expanded to three other cities, with more concepts on the way. Whether it’s Duckpin bowling, pinball or shuffleboard, there is no shortage of fun.
Leave us a comment on our Facebook Page about your favorite old-school arcade game, and we’ll enter you to win a gift card from PINS Mechanical.