Game Arena opens Gateway esports center with a college twist

Tyler Saunders, Andres Ibarra
Thu, 27 May 2021 00:36:53 +0000
Arts & Life, Entertainment, food & drink, Instagram Page, News, a&l, arts, arts and life, bar, Buckeyes, call of duty, capri sun, casual games, college students, Columbus, coronavirus, covid, covid restrictions, doritos, drink, esports, esports center, food, food and drinks, game area, game arena at gateway, gamers, games, gaming center, gateway, k-pop, k-pop karaoke [and 15 more]

Game Arena’s Arena Dog and Doritos Chicken N’ Waffles Fries. Credit: Andres Ibarra | Arts & Life Lantern TV Producer

Calling all gamers: Gateway is now home to Game Arena, a gaming center, restaurant and bar for both beginner and seasoned gamers alike.

Game Arena at Gateway is the company’s second location and has been open and operating at half capacity since April 9, with a grand opening and increased programming planned for later this summer. On June 2, Game Arena will begin to operate under full capacity, welcoming a maximum of 200 people to game, eat and socialize in the building.

“We have a lot of different games for all types of gamers ranging from really popular esports, such as ‘League of Legends,’ ‘Call of Duty’ and casual games that you can play on the Nintendo Switch,” Justin Kogge, CEO and owner of Game Arena, said.

Kogge said the food and drinks offered at the center present unique spins on stereotypical “gamer foods” such as the Ramen Dog ––? beef franks with crispy ramen, chopped egg and honey mustard –– and the Doritos Chicken N’ Waffles Fries with spicy honey ranch.

Some of the center’s signature cocktails include the Spiced Peach Ring, Capri-Sun punch and Tye Dye Berry lemonade.

“We really played on the stereotypical gamer foods, but we put a chef spin on everything, so it tastes better with higher-quality ingredients,” Kogge said.

After opening his first Game Arena location in Hilliard in February 2018, Kogge said he decided to try his luck with the college-aged crowd and set his sights on a second location at 1556 N. High St. in Gateway.?

As a 2017 Ohio State alumnus with a degree in marketing, Kogge said he noticed there was a large gaming community at Ohio State with very few locations accommodating for it.?

“There’s a lot of college students and a lot of gamers who are really looking for somewhere to go and eat food, drink and hang out with their friends,” Kogge said.

The center has already seen some returning customers since its initial opening, Kogge said.

“This has been a very soft open for us. We didn’t do a ton of marketing,” Tracella Barrera, general manager of Game Arena at Gateway, said. “Most of it’s been word of mouth, and what we realized is that we have a ton of regulars who just keep on coming back.”?

The initial grand opening of Game Arena’s new location was set for last November, but due to pandemic-driven curfews and bar restrictions, Kogge said the grand opening was pushed back. Barrera said the full grand opening is now roughly scheduled for July or August to offer a more normal experience that’s less hindered by COVID-19.?

“We wanted our grand opening to have more regular esports events and be more telling of what the experience is here,” Kogge said.

In the future, Game Arena at Gateway plans to host K-pop karaoke nights and a DJ booth to entertain guests, Kogge said.

“We also want to create experiences for people that aren’t that competitive at gaming, and a place for people to have fun, and every time they come back there is something different that they can participate in,” Kogge said.

Game Arena at Gateway is open Thursday from 5 p.m. to midnight, Friday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday from 3 p.m. to midnight.