Joystick Wonderland
The long-awaited Fire Betty’s remake has arrived.
With the flick of a switch, Fire Betty’s comes to life.
Machines power on, a symphony of electronic music soars, and the lure of a new high score beckons. Fire Betty’s leveled up at its grand reopening in May, when it returned to a top-notch arcade experience after five years as a gathering space and event venue.
Photo by Pablo Gabes, courtesy of Fire Betty’s
Derek Hart, owner of Fire Betty’s, opened the arcade bar in 2014 and sold it in 2016. He bought back the venue in 2020, reopening it as a music-and-dance space during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I knew that Tallahassee needed music venues. People were yearning to go out again and hear music. We just focused on becoming an event and music space and a place for adults to dance. I always wanted it to be Fire Betty’s again, but better,” Hart says.
Photo by Pablo Gabes, courtesy of Fire Betty’s
Hart is also the owner of Duke’s & Dottie’s, the next-door neighbor of Fire Betty’s. The two venues hosted similar bands, so Hart decided to return Fire Betty’s to her roots.
“This version of Fire Betty’s was my original idea, but we just didn’t have the money back when we first opened. One of these machines can be up to $45,000, so it requires a lot of capital to get into the arcade business.”
Photo by Pablo Gabes, courtesy of Fire Betty’s
From start to finish, renovations took five weeks and 10,000 miles of travel from South Florida up the East Coast to collect games. The result is a meticulously curated experience
for patrons.
“What gives Fire Betty’s its character is that we have these brand new games that Dave & Buster’s and other places have, but we also have the retro games. Those games take a long time to curate. You have to go everywhere.”
Photo by Pablo Gabes, courtesy of Fire Betty’s
The bar closed in early April and reopened its doors May 1, ushering in a new era for Fire Betty’s. Playable acquisitions include claw machines, a Japanese version of Dance Dance Revolution, Skee-Ball, and even a rare original edition of Fix-It Felix Jr. There are also vintage consoles guests can use for free, making the experience accessible for gamers on any budget.
Hart plans to expand, first by opening a second location in Athens, Georgia.
“With the other location opening, we’ll be able to rotate games. We can also swap them out because we have a warehouse. Every month, at a bare minimum, there’ll be new games in here,” Hart says.
Photo by Pablo Gabes, courtesy of Fire Betty’s
Along with fresh experiences at every visit, gamers can expect special offers, too.
“When the students get back, we’ll be doing college night. You’ll get two hours to play any game you want with the same card, and the claw machines will be extra,” Hart says. The arcade bar also has service industry night on Sundays along with happy hour specials throughout the week.
Fire Betty’s now has a unique food menu to complement its libations, including mini pizzas, wraps, sliders, chicken tenders, and even macaroni and cheese egg rolls. “It’s a small menu, but people rave about the food. The food here is amazing. We are full service, and you can order food here until 2 a.m.,” Hart says.
Photo by Pablo Gabes, courtesy of Fire Betty’s
Located in the heart of Midtown, Fire Betty’s is set to reign as one of the most popular places to gather with friends in Tallahassee.
“This is something special. This is a place you can bring your friend from out of town, where it’s going to be just a little different. It’s just Tallahassee, but it’s cool,” Hart says.
Fire Betty’s is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. After
9 p.m., the bar is 18-plus only. Happy hour runs from 5 to 7 p.m.
“There is no bar in the whole city that you’ll have more fun at than this bar. You will see more smiles here than anywhere else you go,” says Hart.
Level Up
Follow Fire Betty’s online and on Instagram for updates on weekly special events. Instagram: @firebettys; website: firebettys.com
