In March of 2020, for American citizens, everything changed. Though epidemiologists had been ringing the alarm for a while, a deadly strain of coronavirus, designated COVID-19 for its appearance in 2019, had moved from overseas countries into the United States and was running rampant. Without a formal Pandemic Response Unit (disbanded by the Trump Administration and not fully restocked within other areas of the National Security Council), the Trump Administration in concert with the Center for Disease Control made several determinations, all of which continue to shift, change, and reform under the Biden Administration. In those early days, however, as American citizens scrambled to make sense of what was happening, the mishandling and mismanagement of the initial lockdowns resulted in a variety of problems as commerce and health battled it out within the halls of government for a municipal response. The end result is a number of vibrant and healthy businesses were forced to shut down as they were unable to stay open after lengthy shutdowns, inconsistent regulatory instructions, and other factors. For the documentary Token Taverns: A Bar Arcade Documentary, filmmaker Bob Rose was in the process of exploring the surging Florida niche market of bar arcades (often referred to colloquially as a “barcade”) in February of 2020 when the lockdowns started, setting in motion a two year project that would follow three bars as they try to stay afloat before, during, and after heavy regulations.
R: Vector Bar & Arcade co-operator Michael Burke. Photo courtesy of Bob Rose.
Vector Bar & Arcade run by Michael Burke and his wife, Lowry Parcade & Tavern co-operated by Robert Leonard (Cliff Stevenson and Lux DeVoid are not interviewed), and Reboot Arcade Machines owned by George Courtney and his wife, make up the three central business which Rose documents over the course of the film. While Rose does also speak with other individuals relevant to the gaming industry and other arcade bar owners in Florida, the bulk of the journey tracks these three businesses and their owners. Through a mixture of talking head interviews and general footage, we’re invited behind the scenes as to what it takes to operate a specialty entertainment business that runs on nostalgia and what it looks like (absent political or medical perspective) when businesses are left to fend for themselves in the unlikeliest of situations.
Lowry Parcade & Tavern co-operator Robert Leonard. Photo courtesy of Bob Rose.
There’s a version of the documentary, I’m sure, in which politics are a central issue. There’s an off-hand job made by one owner to guest Stormy Daniels regarding Mario Kart and some expressions of frustration over the communication regarding what is and isn’t appropriate for businesses by another, but, otherwise, the whole of Token Taverns is about as apolitical as it gets. No real mention of state or federal officials, only policies and how the inconsistency meddles with their ability to do business. To be clear, each of these owners expresses trying to work in a pandemic as a means of not only keeping their own lights on, but what it means to their employees and to the community at large. The people from each business, as one expects, discuss how their patrons, especially the regulars, flock to their locations due to whichever specific thing they offer and how their respective spaces serve as a safe haven, a place to kick back and relax. Each one discusses, in some capacity or another, how the loss of community goes beyond their bottom line and into the psychological impact of isolation. When one considers that each of these businesses (and the owners who are interviewed from the other places in Florida) come to this industry via their love of gaming, whether pinball, arcade cabinets, or console systems, there’s no discounting their words on how the shared experience of playing a game against someone in person makes the online version pale in-comparison. Because of this, their successes are worth cheering and their failures are heartbreaking, not because of what they can’t adapt from or control, but because of what it means to those of us who long for the days of laying quarters on a cabinet and claiming “I’ve got next.” Rose captures their passion and excitement, making each moment in which they get to operate their businesses feel like a gift. More than that, for those of us with the kinds of sweet memories that inspired these individuals to start these arcade bars, it makes one want to seek out their area for a play just like it.
Interestingly, Rose doesn’t seem to branch out from Florida, keeping the scope of the documentary incredibly narrow. This is worth mentioning as the story in Florida is only a microcosm of the nationwide (and likely global) impact of COVID-19 that continues today. In the Charlotte, NC, area, for instance, Zachary Pulliam’s Abari Game Bar, a place that was frequented more than once by my household pre-2020, was forced to shut down due to the inconsistent regulations and other location-specific issues; however, Pulliam was able to find a new location and restart the business as Super Abari Game Bar. It’s to the detriment of the Token Taverns that it doesn’t expand outward, even a little bit, because, unintentionally, it keeps the story of these business local and less impactful on a wider scale. Similarly, Rose’s interviews with people within the industry only carry weight if the audience possesses the knowledge of who they are or whether there’s any kind of connection to the games. For instance, if you didn’t play NBA Jam, the inclusion of voice actor Tim Kitzrow wouldn’t matter. If you aren’t in the sphere that recognizes Billy Mitchell on the street or who has seen the 2007 documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, his inclusion may seem strange as it deviates from the story of the businesses themselves and re-centers them on the gaming. The inclusion of these two specific individuals, as well as others, does indicate how immersed Rose is in the gaming culture of Florida, but it does make it more work for those outside of the Sunshine State to connect. This fact doesn’t bring down the emotional momentum of the doc, but it does mean audiences might have to ride that nostalgic high a little more to remain vested.
TOKEN TAVERNS director Bob Rose. Photo courtesy of Bob Rose.
In the opening of the doc, the subjects and interviewees talk about what going to the arcade was like. After a brief getting-to-know-you with Vector, it dives into the ride of the arcade in the ‘80s before the fall in the ‘90s due to consoles. I was one of those kids who found solace in the arcade, the neon lights, the thrill of a new digital adventure or bumping into an old physical foe to go toe-to-toe with. Specifically at a small arcade in Myrtle Beach off Shore Drive that’s no longer there. I would spend as much free time as I could there, pumping quarters into Altered Beast or Crusin’, though I would main Street Fighter II. I couldn’t tell you the reason we were at the beach (an annual Passover family trip or general vacation), but I’ll never forget the feeling of running the Street Fighter machine and taking down all-comers round after round. It never happened again after that day and now, as a parent, I rarely pick up a controller, but that feeling of being in the arcade, of opportunity and chance, remains absolutely thrilling. Rose captures the excitement, comradery, and joy that the arcade used to bring and what these stewards of entertainment offer to old school cabinet gamers, the crossovers like me, or the generations to come that only know the online/mobile experience. This Rose absolutely nails and, with the documentary now available on so many digital channels, it may just inspire someone to find their local arcade bars and, as a result, find their people.
Available on VOD and digital August 23rd, 2023.
Available on YouTube September 16th, 2023.
Available on Prime Video September 27th, 2023.
Available on Tubi October 26th, 2023.
For more information, head to the official Token Taverns: An Arcade bar Documentary Facebook, X, or Instagram social accounts.
Final Score: 3.5 out of 5.
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