First came the ramen. Then came the poke. Then came the axe-throwing bars and the video game bars and the cat-petting cafes. (Also: “foot bowling bars”?) And now, on the day of an all-important midterm election, it’s worth remembering that in just a few days, Milwaukee (well, Brookfield) will be home to its very first “game show battle rooms.” Finally.
Well, make that Game Show Battle Rooms, because that’s the name of a new business opening Friday, November 9. Minnesota-based college buddies (and former pedal tavern owners, natch) David Sauer and Kevin Letnes opened their first Game Show Battle Room in suburban Minneapolis last year, and are now opening a second in a 2,800-square-foot space at 12565 W. Feerick St., a block south of Capitol Drive. “There’s just a lot of momentum behind experience-based activities,” Sauer told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel back in August. “We thought, why not bring a full, immersive game-show experience to the public?”
So what, exactly, is included in a full, immersive game-show experience? For $29.95, customers get to compete in games like “Wheel of Phrases,” “Friendly Feud,” and “Name That Price”—all hosted by “theatrically minded people” (enter the ghost of Chuck Barris). Sessions last about 90 minutes. The whole thing is all-ages, and there’s no alcohol allowed (exit the ghost of Chuck Barris).
Also, vote today, Milwaukee. Thank you.