news-record.com

Arcade is summer escape for kids

Wednesday, July 9, 2008
(Updated 8:56 am)

GIBSONVILLE -- Lui and Tiffany Lattero have heard the complaint many times.

"I'm always hearing my kids say, 'We're bored. We've got nothing to do,'" Lui Lattero said.

So, the Latteros and another set of Gibsonville parents decided to change that. On June 20, they opened Main Street Arcade downtown.

Tiffany Lattero said she often looked through the windows of Reno's Pizza, which she owns with her husband, to see kids walking aimlessly downtown.

"There was just nothing on an afternoon or a Friday night," she said. Now, kids have a supervised place to hang out - a place where adults are welcome, too, she said.

Besides video games, the arcade has a jukebox and pool table.

"It kind of creates a kind of family environment," Tiffany Lattero said.

The arcade is at 113 E. Main St., two doors down from Reno's Pizza.

"It's pretty cool," said 12-year-old Tommy Kohl, who visited the arcade several days in a row. He and his friends enjoyed the pool table the most, they said.

The owners and one other staff member will take turns supervising the arcade.

Nonalcoholic drinks and snacks are sold.

A game company maintains the eight video games and six merchandise games, which will be switched out from time to time.

The arcade's owners plan to give prizes each week to the highest scorers on select games.

"The purpose of it is to keep kids off the streets, keep them out of trouble," Lui Lattero said. "We have kids. We like to know where they're at."

The owners said they didn't open the arcade to make money.

"If the arcade supports itself and doesn't make a dime, I'll keep it open so the kids have something to do," Jeff Moser said. "It'd be like a cake, and if we make some money that's the icing."

Main Street Arcade is open from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. The arcade's phone number is 449-6700.

Contact Jamie Kennedy Jones at 449-4610 or jamie.kennedy@news-record.com

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