Community Rallies to Support Local Arcade Owners; Online Fundraiser Hits $10,000 Goal in 9 Hours

After three-and-a-half months of closure brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying social distancing mandates, the two Neon Retro Arcade locations in Pasadena and Northridge were on the brink of going under just last week, according to owners Mark and Gia Guenther.

Within nine hours of reaching out to loyal customers and the community, generous connoisseurs of retro video games exceeded a $10,000 goal set in a GoFundMe fundraiser posted on June 30, the couple said.

The donations have continued to pour in since, and the fundraiser had garnered nearly $17,000 in donations as of Thursday.

• “Friends, thank you SO much for all your support and generosity!” the Guenthers wrote in response to the outpouring of support. “We exceeded our initial goal within nine hours of asking for your help and words can’t express how overwhelmed with gratitude we are today.”
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  “Your contributions and the personal stories you shared with us about the arcade have brought happy tears to our eyes,” they added. “They also showed us that despite the current difficulties, Neon Retro Arcade is worth waking up each day and fighting for. We have always felt that in our hearts, but to see that you feel the same is even more meaningful.”

After months without income, the couple said they had been planning for a reopening in early-July. But a surge in COVID-19 cases throughout the county and the state led officials to extend a ban on entertainment businesses indefinitely.

The couple said they felt that their small arcades “have been unfairly and illogically grouped with large venues like movie theaters, bowling alleys and amusement parks.”

Prior to seeking the public’s help, Mark and Mia Guenther said they tried everything they could think of to pay their rent, including applying for government loans, selling off video game machines, negotiating a reduced rent and burning through savings.

But those measures made only a “small dent” in the loss of sales over the past months, which included summer and spring, two of the traditionally busiest times of the year for the arcades, the owners said.

“Thanks to our incredible community, the financial stress of being closed in July has been eased significantly,” they wrote. “All funds raised beyond our initial $10K goal, will be reserved for August rent and beyond. Given the uncertainty of when we’ll be able to reopen, every dollar truly eases the crushing and stressful weight of this unprecedented time.”

The business is also selling merchandise, including T-shirts, lapel pins and even face masks, on its online store.