Orbit Pinball Lounge to close Monday

1. There are plenty of bars in Maplewood! But not so many places for families with kids to hang out. One of the reasons we came to Maplewood was the diversity of income, age, race and beliefs. If this neighborhood is to endure and thrive it needs to be welcoming of families. At the Book House we get people coming from out of town into the area to shop and eat all the time. But over time the number of kids has really gone down- we hear over and over that there is no where to eat and hang out except for bars! I don’t get this animus towards children! Children are definitely welcome at the bookstore!

   Michelle Barron
   The Book House, 7352 Manchester Rd

   • Uh, if you need a place for kids to go there’s a park right across the street from the pinball place. Not everyone wants kids around them and the pinball place was one of them.

     • Parks are only usable in good weather and they don’t include pinball machines.

       • Is there still Discovery Zone (or something similar)? That’s open all year. And if it doesn’t have pinball machines, I’m sure it has other more popular types of games.

2. I’m surprised this place lasted as long as it did.

3. Bummwe. Loved this place 🙁 Did wish they would have opened it to parents with kids for certain times during the week, even just one day.

   • We always wished that too. When we asked an employee about that possibility, he acted as if we’d suggested a time for rattlesnakes to be allowed to play.

     • You’re right, bars are not inherently evil places, but I generally go to bars to avoid children and people with children. I guess according to you my last place of refuge is gone (breeders took breweries from us child free a while back, so I guess 21 and up bars is the next logical step).

       You’re also right that I’m privileged. I’m also white and male and am aware of the special life that has given me. I am not a misogynist though. I just hate children.

       Have you even thought about the fact that maybe the owner of this business doesn’t like kids and doesn’t want them in their establishment? Have you thought that maybe by allowing no kids, they are trying to avoid legal problems?

       To be honest, you sound like the entitled brat here.

       • I know the owner doesn’t like kids, he made that very clear. He, like you, thinks of children as separate and alien. He, like you, does not see kids as simply a younger person. And he, like you, does not feel the need to expand his small view of other people by getting to know more young people.

         I’m sorry that a person advocating for another group of people (i.e. kids who like to play pinball games) is an “entitled brat” to you. I’m also sorry you feel your extremely large selection of places where young people are not welcome seems to be shrinking. But although I feel very sorry for your small, angry lifestyle that clearly cannot expand for anyone who is not just like you, I will not change my mind about the fact that a place that has games that young people like could have found a way to open their doors to more people at times of day when grumpy, child-hating men would not be disturbed in their drinking, and thus built a more viable business that might have been more appealing to a buyer.

         • One more note, because I can tell you’re super interested in educating yourself. A term like “breeders” is a misogynistic term. Just FYI.

           • Everything is misogynistic. And racist.
             Where have you been?????

           • I knew that word would trigger you. haha.

         • Maybe he didn’t want kids in there. Maybe in your wide open world view you could accept that different people have different preferences . Open your mind and your heart will follow!

4. Should’ve allowed kids to play.

   • It was a bar.

     • Yeah, looks like that worked out well.

       • According to the article, they are closing because “the owner of the building had been trying to sell, and didn’t renew the business’s lease”, so not seeing your point.

         • My point (not an extremely complicated one) is that his business would have likely done better, so that he didn’t need to try and sell, if he had found a time when kids could also enjoy the games he had in there, games that people who are under the legal drinking age will pay money to play. In a town that has so many kids, he might have done better. I know the staff was extremely opposed to young people of any kind, so clearly that was not in his vision. But a pinball lounge that cuts off a huge portion of paying customers seems like a failing business plan. And clearly it was.

           • you do understand what “He said the owner of the building had been trying to sell, and didn’t renew the business’s lease.” means, yes?

           • Why do kids have to be allowed everywhere? Why would you want to bring your kids to a bar? Can’t all of us who don’t want to be around everyones children all the time have somewhere to go and not be annoyed by screaming little fun-terrorists?

             Also, you obviously have no reading comprehension because the business closing– according to the article– has nothing to do with not drawing in enough business. It’s the landlord not wanting to renew the lease.

           • He could have chosen a time when people don’t usually hang out in a “bar” environment, say 4 to 6 pm, or a weekend morning. And no one is saying we all have to hang around kids all the time (although most of us are stuck being around privileged misogynists and can do nothing to get away from them, clearly). If you hate children as much as you both do, you would have simply avoided Orbit during those times. Again, it’s not that complicated.

             And bars are not inherently evil places that teenage kids who want to play pinball should avoid at all costs. Open your narrow view a small amount. Who knows what else might get in there?

       • Michelle, it looks like I didn’t read and comprehend the sentence correctly. I read “building” instead of “business”, unless the article was corrected after I read it. It still doesn’t say that the business was closing due to lack of business or bad business model but I do see your point about the kid aspect and pinball. I have never owned a business but “no kids” could have been due to the liquor or business license requirements.

         • That’s possible. But there are places that have bars where underage kids are allowed. Blueberry Hill is one. Lots of bowling alleys have bars. The Pageant allows underage concert attendees and just gives them a special stamp. There are ways to work it, but I know the owner really did not want kids involved. That is, naturally, his choice. But I do wonder how it ultimately impacted his business.

5. What a shame…I just saw an small article in STL P-D ‘Go!’ of last week about the various pinball joints in/around STL and Orbit Pinball Lounge was at the top of the list. Went to their website and I was all worked up about a visit to the lounge. Hopefully they can relocate…fun concept and itz local :)(: MiMi

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