Online video gaming emporium PC Gamerz has yet to see traffic at its new-ish Kaneohe location rebuild to the levels of its previous location, and owner Jim Wolarey is wrestling with the "why" question.
The previous location was adjacent to Windward Mall, while the new shop is half a mile away, in Kaneohe Shopping Center (adjacent to Times Super Market, facing Firestone).
"Distance from the mall" could be a factor, he said, but he suspects a larger culprit is the growth of so-called Internet cafes that have nothing to do with coffee, but which are equipped with machines hooked up for "Internet sweepstakes." Essentially, gambling machines, he said.
He fears his business is being painted with the same broad brush.
The legality of such machines is a controversial issue, as reflected in recent Star-Advertiser reports. Such machines have been seized in law enforcement raids but also have been approved for use in establishments by the Honolulu Liquor Commission, with the caveat that the machines’ distributor must remove them if they are deemed illegal by law enforcement agencies.
Businesses that do not serve alcohol have not needed Liquor Commission consent for installation; to wit, law enforcement authorities are aware that they also have become popular in pawnshops and nail salons.
"The problem is, there’s a fair amount of notoriety about it," Wolarey said, and parents may have the misperception that his gamer-venues are those sorts of operations so they won’t allow their kids to set foot in the door.
The other side of that coin is that "every week, four or five people walk in and ask where the gambling machines are," he said.
They don’t have any.
"We think this is hurting our image" because of the social elements that go along with gambling, such as alcohol and drug use, as well as crime, he said.
"We’re a family-oriented place where kids and young adults can come" and enjoy time video-gaming using computers or game consoles.
PC Gamerz provides a drug-, alcohol- and porn-free environment at both its Kaneohe and Aiea locations.
While the Kaneohe shop’s old location did not have highly visible street frontage, its mall-adjacent spot proved a benefit. Its new location also is not visible from Kamehameha Highway, but it is cavernous by comparison with its old digs.
TheBuzz asked local marketing agency The Brand Strategy Group, owned by Brook Gramann and Gloria Garvey, to take a look at PC Gamerz and suggest how it might increase customer traffic.
"In our opinion, to differentiate themselves they really have to be upfront about who they are and who they serve," to make the vice-free environment and their target audience very clear, Gramann said.
"This would be in all their communications," which also should stress that "their sole purpose is entertainment and a safe place to gather," she said. Garvey and Gramann now own Lanikai Bath and Body in Kailua.
Wolarey agreed with and appreciated the marketers’ counsel, saying he also would communicate something else parents of gamers need to know.
They may wonder why their child would want to spend "perfectly good money" on going to PC Gamerz when "they have the thing at home, but people don’t understand, it’s a social activity."
Players of online multiplayer games can easily play against online opponents around the globe via their PC or Internet-connected console. However, it’s generally a solitary proposition in most households. Meeting friends in a spot with dozens of computers allows them to play against each other side by side within verbal mocking distance, while also taking on other, unseen opponents spread throughout the ether.
"What we provide is a social arena, like ice skating rinks, roller rinks, bowling alleys and that kind of stuff," Wolarey said. "It’s a way to socialize as well as play some games. That’s kind of what our market is."
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Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.
