MCALLEN, Texas – The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many businesses to close however one arcade in McAllen is not running out of lives.
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J.D. Ellis, manager of Flux, said there was a line out the door when they reopened. He believes the arcade is a stress reliever and helps bring families together.
At one point, the arcade had to rely on online sales, but now that the business is completely open, Ellis said it is not slowing down.
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“It was an unfortunate day when everyone had to close down.” said Ellis, “As soon as we reopened, it was nonstop like I mean we had people lining up if you were saying he thank God you’re open.”
Ellis said one of the biggest changes since the pandemic hit has been the hours of operation. He sees people of all ages during the weekends.
Because the business sees those in their 50’s and 60’s, Ellis said they put safety measures in place.
“We are allowing 15 in the arcade because the arcade is pretty big so we can have people spread out in front of the store,” said Ellis. “We also do have sanitizer by the door so that when people come in they sanitize their hands, and we do require facemask.”
Ellis said his staff sanitizes the arcades after a group plays for the new group that comes in.
Besides the arcade, Ellis says they’re known for vintage and collectibles, but the safety of their customers is a top priority.
