Today we’d like to introduce you to Jorge Mesa.
Hi Jorge, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I got into pinball during the pandemic. Once businesses were able to slowly open back up I would find myself at the local arcade before work. I used to work the 2nd shift, so that left plenty of time for me to enjoy a game before my workday started. It later became an addiction. I was able to decompress from my work life and the current state of the world for just a brief moment following a silver ball. I found myself playing more and getting better after every game. Taylor doesn’t have any pinball games anywhere, so I would have to drive to Austin to get some game time. One day my wife, Eloisa, noticed how much time I was spending playing pinball. “Is this going to be a problem?” she asked me. I knew I needed to find a solution.
One evening Eloisa and I were at the local bar and we noticed that there were a lot of kids running around the open area. I said in passing that Taylor needs to open an arcade with pinball games. Eloisa said that that is a great idea. Eloisa has had many years of being a business manager. She knew that this was a great idea from a business standpoint. After much planning and risk calculation, we decided to open our own business during a pandemic. Eloisa and I thought it was a great idea to open a pinball lounge in a historic, repurposed high school.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The pandemic was the biggest obstacle. We gauged our decisions based on pandemic trends and the development of the vaccine. We had enough information to develop a game plan to open our business. We moved into our space at the end of December 2020.
Another challenge was finding the time to prepare our lounge while raising a toddler and working a full-time job. Plenty of sacrifices were made but in the end, it was well worth it.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Hangout Pinball Lounge has more than ten pinball machines and over 200 classic arcade games all set up on free play. Customers are only charged an entry fee which is good for one calendar day. Customers are given a wristband so that they can leave and come back whenever they like. We also offer concession snacks, drinks, and domestic beer. We’ve created a space where everyone is welcome.
We believe in customer service and make sure that everyone that enters our establishment is happy. We are the only pinball lounge located 25 miles northeast of Austin. We make sure that our equipment is in good working conditions to keep the serious pinball player satisfied.
The Hangout Pinball Lounge is located in Old Taylor High. Old Taylor High is a historic revitalization project which is transforming a former high school campus into a mixed-use development that includes a boutique shop, an NY-style deli, a bbq food truck, and a craft beer house and garden. All of these establishments are located in one single building. Fun for the whole family. You can spend an entire day here.
What’s next?
We just started but we are always thinking on improvement. We hope to establish a pinball community at The Hangout can host tournaments and league nights. We want to be Taylor’s #1 entertainment spot for kids, families, and young adults.
For the near future, we plan on expanding our brand. Our logo is unique in a way that it allows me to have a lot of artistic freedom and try different variants of color to use in our merchandise and digital media. We just started a club called the “Silver Bullet Pinball Club”. We hope to bring more people in the pinball scene. I hope to get enough people interested in starting a league and maybe holding friendly competitions with pinball enthusiasts in Austin.
Pricing:
- Entry Fee for Adult: $10
- Entry Fee for Children <12: $8
Contact Info:
- Email: thehangoutpinballlounge@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.thehangoutpinballlounge.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_hangout_pinball_lounge/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehangoutpinballlounge
Image Credits
Jorge Mesa – black beanie with Texas Beer Co shirt Eloisa Mesa – orange cream shirt posing underneath neon sign.
