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[Tripon]

Music has the Hard Rock Cafe. Film has Planet Hollywood. It's high time the game industry had its own cheesy, tourist-trappy theme restaurant to part visiting rubes from their money. Apparently, Namco agrees with that sentiment, given the company's plans to open Level 257, "a brand new restaurant and entertainment destination inspired by Pac-Man" in a former Sears warehouse at the Woodfield Mall in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Illinois next month.

According to the official Level 257 tumblr page, the 40,000 square foot, 180-seat restaurant will also integrate a larger entertainment complex, featuring "16 boutique retro-styled bowling lanes with smart technology, table tennis, pinball machines and our Lost & Found games parlor with original arcades alongside exciting new titles, plus custom-built game tables and free-to-play board games provide a unique entertainment experience." Fans of Pac-Man will also be able to shop at a "first-of-its-kind" Pac-Man retail shop and browse a "gallery space" devoted to the little yellow dot.

"Level 257 seeks to explore Pac-Man’s impact upon our society and pop culture, reminding us all of the importance of play in our lives, while facilitating our desire to relive those times when beating the next level was the most important thing in our world," the site says. "All while indulging that which we love now—great food and drink with our friends and family."

Eat me with a power pellet if old.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/12/namco-to-open-pac-man-themed-restaurant-in-suburban-chicago/

 

[chicagocubsfan]

Awesome. Will have to check it out.

 

[The Bankslammer]

how appetizing

 

[Shadow Hog]

It'd better be a pizza place.

 

[Coconut]

Awesome. Will have to check it out.

do it quick before it goes out of business two months after opening.

 

[Ferrio]

how appetizing

This is not the Pac-man I remember.

 

[Duress]

Pac-Man Fever

 

[Orbis Tabula]

Someone already made a pretty good one over in the Sims 4 Community Thread. Just make that, but real.

 

[DICKS AHOY]

how appetizing

i associate new pac-man with vomit so this is appropriate

 

[HUELEN10]

Pac-Man Cafe in Orlando was awesome while it lasted...

 

[18-Volt]

Nice going Namco. We're sitting here waiting for localizations for games like God Eater 2, Digimon World re: Digitize Decode and Tales of the World Reve Unitia, you go get into restaurant business. Typical.

 

[LX_Theo]

I'll have to check it out.

 

[CosmicSmash]

I really hope that this isnt based on Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures...

 

[wondermega]

For the dinner menu, they just take a bunch of meatballs and spray paint them white, is that all? And the occasional grapefruit

 

[Greenzxy]

They're even going to have the original Arcade games too? Count me in.

 

[CosmicSmash]

Nice going Namco. We're sitting here waiting for localizations for games like God Eater 2, Digimon World re: Digitize Decode and Tales of the World Reve Unitia, you go get into restaurant business. Typical.

The past couple of years players got Jojo's Bizarre Adventure All Star Battle, Short Peace, Tales of Xilia, Project X Zone, Sword Art Online, and next year the upcoming Godzilla game...

I guess some people can't be pleased.

 

[Alfredo]

I hope Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures gets some representation at this restaurant.

 

[Graphics Horse]

Not sure about this I heard that place was haunted.

 

[Mathezar]

Main course: 3/4 of pizza

Dessert: 3/4 of pancake

 

[Thoraxes]

Only 15 minutes from work.

Fuck yeah I'll be going to this.

 

[BatDan]

Oooh, that's kind of close. I'll have to keep an eye out on this.

 

[Brian_FETO]

Not sure about this I heard that place was haunted.

Ha!

Also, woo! Something for Chicago! As long as it's predominantly classic Pac Man I'm hyped

EDIT: Woodfield Mall! Easier to get to than the city. Sweet

 

[stan423321]

So that's why they changed their name to Bandai Namco Entertainment.

 

[UrAvgGuy]

Will definitely be checking this out.

 

[Man-is-Obsolete]

Japanese publishers sure are making...interesting business decisions of late.

 

[ThreePiMatt]

Weird location since there's a GameWorks right next to that mall. But Woodfield Mall is pretty big and draws a lot of people so it might work.

 

[kirblar]

When I lived in that area as a kid ~25 years ago they had a giant Little Caesars with a big play area and lots of Arcade machines. I wonder if it's still around.

 

[Like the hat?]

Gonna have to go check it out

GAF meetup time!

 

[NewVegasDog]

Hmm, might check it out one of these days. It's about a 40 minute drive for me.

 

[Jacksinthe]

I'll check it out. Chicagoland-GAF, assemble, yeah?

 

[blamite]

Sounds cool, maybe I'll check it out sometime if it's still around. Good concept as long as it ignores all traces of pac-man's modern design.

 

[entremet]

I hope they have that four player PacMan game from a few years back. I haven't seen it in the wild outside Japan.