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Arcade Bar Pixels & Pints Coming to Worcester’s Grafton Hill

By Patrick Sargent | March 29, 2019
Last Updated: February 2, 2021

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WORCESTER – For kids that grew up in Worcester in the 70s and 80s, if you ever frequented the Silver Ball or the Dream Machine as a teen, or spent childhood birthday parties at Playland, Discovery Zone, Millbury Amusements and the still-existing Chuck E. Cheese, then be prepared for a future throwback on Worcester’s Grafton Hill.

Pixels & Pints — an arcade bar with retro games from the ‘80s & ‘90s and full cocktail and beer service — will be opening up in a 4,300 square foot space at 179 Grafton St., near the Grafton Hill welcome area of the I-290 on and off-ramps.

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According to owner Jason Eastty, Pixels & Pints will feature at least 20 retro arcade games to start — including Pac-Man, Donkey Kong and other classics — and will add pinball games and other arcade favorites.

Eastty, the former owner of Escape Games Worcester and Smash the Room, co-organizer of Clues & Brews trivia contest, and creator of live action events “Find the Secret Agent” and “Escape the City”, received approval for for liquor, food sales and entertainment licenses from the City of Worcester’s License Commission on Thursday.

“Worcester is constantly aiming to keep its college students in the city after they graduate. I’m hoping Pixels & Pints is the start or a launching point of creating fun businesses that encourage these kids to stay here. [Worcester is] such a cool city and this will be the first arcade bar in the area,” Eastty said. “We need to encourage fun, and that’s what Pixels & Pints is all about.”

The interior theme of Pixels & Pints will be an inside-out city-scape with fencing, bricks, street lines, street signs, traffic lights, graffitied walls, and highlighted by two pay-phones and a bar built out from a shipping container.

“It’s going to look like a city inside the building. That’s what how I’ve always pictured it. Like a fun version of Jordan’s furniture. But with a throwback look to the pop-culture of the ‘80s & ‘90s,” Eastty said.

According to Eastty, in the early goings of Pixels & Pints, the food menu will be strictly pizza — lots of variety and plenty of options.

“Like [George] Costanza, you’ll have just the right amount of pizza grease on the joystick,” Eastty quipped.

Although he has yet to decide his beer selection, Eastty has some idea of what his cocktail menu might look like — which involves using sugary cereal from childhood as garnishes.

“We will introduce cocktails that play well with cereals we used to eat as kids. I can imagine a chocolate martini sprinkled with Cocoa Krispies. We’ve got a few ideas to play off the enormous amounts of cereal. Heck, we may even make cereal a menu option,” Eastty said.

Pixels & Pints was originally intended to be the city’s first axe-throwing bar, but Eastty had trouble obtaining a liquor license from the license commission. Instead, he pivoted towards his other dream of owning an arcade bar and is excited for its prospects.

Eastty said, “We’re still in the very early stages of planning. The idea is there. The design is pretty much solid. There’s no timeframe right now for us to open because we want to make sure we get it right — get the right collection of games, provide a unique bar experience, and be ready to bring the maximum amount of fun to Worcester.”

Stay with ThisWeekinWorcester.com as we will continue to keep you update on an expected opening for Pixels & Pints.

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