Videogame-themed nightclub switching to events-only format

Insert Coin(s) Videolounge GameBar, a videogame-themed nightclub that opened in downtown Minneapolis last fall, is converting to a corporate events venue.

The club, which occupies an 11,000-square-foot, two-story space at 315 First Ave., will keep its wide selection of videogames. But it will no longer be open to the general public for walk-in business — an approach that was "somewhat underperforming," said Stefano Sinicropi, a Twin Cities surgeon who owns Insert Coin(s) with his wife.

"We just feel like the use of that beautiful space we built is going to be a lot more efficient as corporate event center, so we're going to be focusing primarily on the Fortune 500 companies in town, law firms and private events like weddings and bar mitzvahs," Sinicropi said. "We've turned down a lot of business over the past six months, especially people who want to do things over the weekend."

The company will make some slight remodels to better accommodate the new format. For example, it will remove the large booths on the main floor to make room for banquet-style seating.

"All of the games are staying, so people who come for private events will still be able to choose from our large library of games," he said.

The business plans to bring in "one of the top event planners in Minnesota" to manage event booking.

I've heard rumors that role will be filled by Aqua nightclub owner Jado Hark, but Sinicropi wouldn't comment on that. (There are also rumors floating around that Hark may be working on some type of deal at the Fine Line Music Café.)

Ultimately, Insert Coin(s) was just too far removed from the downtown core to generate enough walk-in business, Sinicropi said.

"We had no foot traffic, so on any given night, the only people who would come were people who were coming to Insert Coin(s)," he said.

But Sinicropi said the company's Las Vegas location continues to perform well, and he still plans to expand the concept to additional markets.

Reported by:  Mpls St. Paul Business Journal