The Garcade began as a hobby of owner Gar Nelson back in 2012 as an opportunity to spend time with his kids. A tinkerer by nature, collecting vintage games allowed him to go on road trips with his kids, spend time at home working on the games, and create a fun environment at home for the family to entertain themselves and their friends. As time wore on, the home arcade grew and grew and the popularity of their home arcade flourished, but space was getting cramped and Gar wanted to share his love of gaming with more people. After enjoying the arcade at home, Gar’s wife Mara and their kids began to conceive a public arcade.