Beer, arcade games combine at The Quarter Barrel

CEDAR RAPIDS - Fans of pinball, Pac-Man. pizza and pints of craft beer will soon be able to satisfy all these cravings in one place.

The Quarter Barrel, 616 Second Ave., is on track to open March of 2015. Part, brewery, pizza place and arcade, Quarter Barrel serve handcrafted beers and wood-fired pizzas alongside 30 video arcade games and pinball machines, said co-owner Chris Ellis.

The venture has been years in the making. While living in Chicago, the self-proclaimed video game nerd and his wife would frequent a neighborhood arcade before heading out for drinks with friends. The couple always thought it would be a great business idea to combine the two, he said. Then during a 2008 trip to Brooklyn to visit his sister, Ellis went to Barcade, an arcade bar with several locations on the East coast.

'It was exactly what we envisioned,” he said. 'They proved our concept was a viable business.”

Even so, the two put if off. Ellis eventually studied brewing, and took a job at Millstream Brewing Company in Amana when the couple decided to moved back to Eastern Iowa to start a family.

It wasn't until after his son was born that they began to get serious about opening an arcade and brewery.

'We decided now was either the best time or the worst time,” he said.

The arcade-bar concept is growing in popularity, with similar establishments popping up around the country. Two have recently opened in Des Moines.

The 5,000 square-foot facility will dedicate about 3,500 square feet to restaurant and arcade space, with the remaining 1,500 square feet serving as the kitchen and brewing area.

Ellis plans to brew eight of his own beers and sell another eight to 16 guest beers, he said.

In addition to wood-fired pizzas, the Quarter Barrel will serve sandwiches and other 'comfort foods,” Ellis said.