'Nothing like this for miles': New arcade opens at Perham Pizza Ranch

One of Perham's most anticipated commercial projects of the year has officially hit the 'start' button, and play has begun.

The local Pizza Ranch hosted a grand opening of its new Fun Zone arcade on Jan. 22, to much excitement from kids and families in the community. Pizza Ranches throughout the Midwest have gradually been opening arcades, and after several months of construction and planning, Perham's is now one of them.

"It's been a stressful week and a half," laughed Owner and General Manager Nick Price on the day of the opening, but everything was set up and ready for the celebration.

The Fun Zone has 21 games, including everything from interactive video games to claw machines, ski ball to basketball, and more.

"Our core clientele are families in the restaurant, and the arcade is a great complement for that," Price said. "It's extra entertainment for the kids."

Elizabeth Vierkant / Perham Focus

Now when families order food at Pizza Ranch, they can also purchase points to add to special Fun Zone cards, which are used to play the games and also track the number of tickets a player has won. After they're done playing, players can cash in for any number of prizes, from candy to toys to a lava lamp.

The opening was long-awaited for many.

"There's been a lot of excitement in the last week as we've gotten closer (to opening)," Price said. "As we've gotten closer and just opened up, people could peek their heads in and see what was happening, and this grew anticipation."

"While we were still setting things up, kids kept coming up and asking if they could have cards to play with," Keyana King, an employee at Pizza Ranch, laughed.

King, along with Price, was heavily involved in getting the arcade up and going. They said the long process of planning everything and setting it all up has been rewarding for them both.

Elizabeth Vierkant / Perham Focus

"When you actually see (the arcade) come together after all the meetings, it's really rewarding. There was a lot put into it," King said. "It's a very good addition to the town. There's nothing like this for miles around. It's something new and different you can't find in a lot of places."

For more information about the arcade, and to plan an arcade party, visit pizzaranchfunzone.com/plan-a-party , call 218-346-7890, or email perham@pizzaranch.com.