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Arcade games inside Bingo
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Bingo is expected to open by the end of the week.
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The mural on the wall near the skee-ball, basketball and table tennis tables was completed by Caesar from 1500 Studios.
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Bingo also offers air hockey.
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The 12,000-square-foot space is open and bright.
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The bingo mural was completed by artists at LightBox in Scott's Addition.
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Couches offer an opportunity to relax and lounge inside the space. The mural is by Caesar from 1500 Studios.
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The sit-down restaurant area of Bingo
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Bingo will offer taters tots, as well as a spin on the McRib sandwich.
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Patrons can find bar fare including chicken wings on the Bingo menu.
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A Bingo burger
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Potato salad is one of the many offerings from the Bingo kitchen, spearheaded by Jason Alley.
Restaurateurs Jason Alley, Michele Jones and Jay Bayer — the minds behind the Southern-inspired Comfort and Pasture, the pop-up venue Flora, and Jackson Ward’s Saison — and developer Ted Ukrop, of Quirk Hotel and other local projects, have joined forces to entertain Richmond. Bingo, Richmond’s first all-in-one arcade, sit-down restaurant, full bar and brewery, is set to open at 2900 W. Broad St. in Scott’s Addition by the end of the week.
The name is a nod to the former bingo hall that occupied the space.
Bayer recalls an evening at Saison when Ukrop asked him, "What does Richmond need?" He responded with, “Entertainment options," and the rest is history.
“Breweries are an entertainment space, but not a fully fleshed-out one,” says Bayer, who knew Alley had always wanted to open an arcade and that Jones would provide the perfect balance to the equation.
“To be able to attract and keep a more diverse and more millennial audience, we need more things. … We want you to be able to come and sit down and hang out.” Bayer describes Bingo as a purposeful and friendly place where families and young adults are welcome.
Bingo's exterior is deceptive, concealing a whopping 12,000 square feet of entertainment opportunities within.
“We’re landing closer to the midway at Kings Dominion or a boardwalk somewhere,” says Bayer. “What the food and experience and art are trying to convey is an urban midway thing.”
Floating servers enable an all-encompassing style of service that will allow guests to move freely between the bar, gaming section and outdoor area, with a mantra of “We’ll find a way to get to you.”
Bayer, a beer and cocktail enthusiast, is excited to release Bingo Lager, a modern take on a German-style lager and the venue's flagship brew.
Behind the suds are Head Brewer Ken Rayher, formerly of Hardywood and Champion, aka “the lager guy,” and Brewer Sean O'Hern. Brewed on site, Bingo Lager is expected to make its way into restaurants in Richmond and beyond and be available in 16-ounce six-packs.
“It’s a regular, easy-drinking, delicious and price-point-competitive beer,” explains Bayer, who is fulfilling a life-long dream of immersing himself in the beer world. “I’d like this [beer] to be as comfortable at the suburban watering hole in Hanover, or on at Saison or Heritage and more culinary-focused places.”
When Bingo opens, they will offer six beers including Black Lager, There Was a Farmer saison, Free Space hazy IPA, a gose and Fassionola Gose, the latter featuring the syrup from the classic hurricane cocktail.
There are hopes to grow and consistently offer eight to 12 Bingo beers at a time on their double-sided, 20-tap system, along with a handful of draft craft cocktails and wines.
Get ready to break out those quarters: A step into Bingo is a flashback to an old-school arcade, with flashing lights, retro sounds and an open atmosphere. The games are a blend of classics and newer options ranging from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Pac-Man, Dead Pool, Donkey Kong and more.
However, Bayer says, don’t expect to bury your face in one game; many are multiplayer and meant to encourage interaction. “We’re trying to build an experience, and we want that very much to be the ethos of what Bingo is — hospitality, conviviality, hanging out, enjoying company and precious moments,” he says.
Bingo guests can also play pool, skee-ball, air hockey, basketball, foosball, table tennis and cornhole.
Spearheading Bingo's kitchen is Alley, who describes the menu he crafted with Jeremy Dutra, sous chef at Pasture, as “snack-bar-type fare but a little bit chef-y.”
Diners can expect a dose of Southern-influenced dishes and a spin on the McRib — an Autumn Olive Farms pork patty with barbecue sauce, onions and house-made pickles — along with small plates including chicken wings with butter chicken, buffalo or charred green tomato sauces; a play on an In & Out burger; tater tots; and a variety of vegan offerings including a "meatball" sub. Everything from pickling to curing meats will be done in house.
“We want this to be accessible food for everyone,” says Jones. “Something you would eat, and your dad would eat.”
The goal is that all the pieces — the brewery, restaurant and arcade — work together in harmony, but also that each is strong enough to draw guests on its own.
“Our intention is for all the things we're providing, from the beverages to the service to the menu and arcade, to be enticing enough to be awesome and stand-alone options, and when they all come together it’s something unique and something you can do in one place,” explains Alley.
Bingo is focused on providing an experience, and one that brings people back for the long haul. One important aspect echoed by all the partners involved: hospitality.
“Our hope is this is a one-stop shop for people,” says Alley.
Bingo will be open daily from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. every day, with the addition of lunch in the near future. Bingo also presents opportunities for private events, semiprivate events and beer dinners.
