Have you ever wanted to visit an arcade, a restaurant and a bowling alley all in one place? Surge Entertainment by Drew Brees combines all three in same building, along with more activities including laser tag and sports simulators. While the venue offers variety, its attempt to do everything at once leaves certain areas underdeveloped, which ultimately affects the overall experience.
To the immediate right of the entrance is the restaurant. Booths and tables accommodate parties of all sizes, and a bar area sits beneath a large projector screen displaying sports games. The atmosphere mimics that of a standard restaurant, but the ordering process did not. To order food, customers must use one of two kiosks that only accept card payments. This limitation becomes a recurring issue.
To play games in the arcade section of the center, visitors load points onto a game card at a separate kiosk; $25 buys 400 points, $50 buys 800, and so on. This machine also requires card payments, leaving cash-users at a major disadvantage.
“The cashless experience was inconvenient,” sophomore communications major Linden Justus said, “because we expected to pay with cash.”
Across from the restaurant is the arcade section. Since Surge is more than an arcade, the game selection was far smaller than competing arcades. Despite having fewer to choose from, the variety still appeals to a wide range of players. Harder games such as Connect 4 Hoops, easier games such as Whack-A-Clown and more standard games such as air hockey and claw machines populated thr floor. Several machines, however, were temporarily out of order. This creates frustration and disrupts the experience.
“There was a claw machine down that I wanted a prize from,” Justus said, “and that was pretty disappointing.”
After earning digital tickets from games, players can go to the prize counter to cash them out. Rewards range from small pieces of candy to a telescope. The most expensive prize was a signed photo of Drew Brees himself for 100,000 tickets.
Laser tag and rock climbing are attractions found in other local activity centers, but the sports simulators help distinguish Surge from competitors. Each simulator bay accommodates up to six players, priced at $28/hr for non-peak hours and $45/hr for peak hours (Friday after 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday). There is a total of 13 games to choose from, with the most popular being football, golf and hockey.
The last major attraction is the bowling area. Lane rentals cost $24/hr for a lane during non-peak hours, and $45/hr during peak hours. The bowling alley features multiple TVs for sports games viewings and plenty of space for dining and drinking.
Surge offers numerous experiences for people of all ages and parties of all sizes. However, the fully cashless system, out-of-service attractions and relatively high costs may limit the overall visitor experience.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source ulmhawkeyeonline.com ’
