At the height of the pandemic locking, the owners of Cinema 6 in Port Richey were ready to lose everything. Thanks to the will and hard work, they have survived and are now developing in a one -stop shop for family entertainment.
ABC Action News Reporter Michael Paluska profiled family cinema in Port Richey in 2020.
The theaters were empty and the screens were silent. Quick advance until 2025, and Cinema 6 is stronger than ever, with a full arcade.
“We always wanted to have an arcade. It was just to find the place and be able to do it. It had never been open before; the company here had not survived the pandemic. It was a golf place, and it had trouble obtaining products from the pandemic,” said Casteel.
The arcade has a redemption support, an ice cream bar, a self-source wine, a beer, a cider and a wall of Seltzer. People can play games and watch a movie.
Casteel is also a brand change, the appellant Level up Entertainment Center, an extension of cinema 6 which focuses on the arcade rather than movies.
“You had to take this risk because Hollywood is too risky?” Asked Paluska.
“Yeah, we needed something else to feed ourselves economically, or we go bankrupt, and all my employees will be unemployed. You know what I mean? It’s like, they don’t publish good films. We don’t have customers. The owner still wants to be paid,” said Casteel.
Casteel, his partner Jason Dover, and their daughter Ella Dover all worked together to make the arcade occur. Ella is a high school student hoping to pass the family business to the next level.
“Come here. We are the cheapest place to come, but it’s always so fun. We will not tear people, you know, our prices are super low for everything here, and it’s just the best place to be for summer,” said Ella. “Next year, I hope we will have another place open, and this place will be out of the charts, more people will notice it, then hope to have it filled from there.”
The arcade is currently open on weekends. He plans to time a large opening around the first large summer blockbuster of summer and to remain open seven days a week.