North Shore developers are banking on retro games and a big shot of nostalgia to make their future business venture a success.
Shorty’s Pins x Pints, an entertainment complex featuring duckpin bowling, bocce, shuffleboard, cornhole, pinball machines and ping-pong will open on North Shore Drive by the end of the year.
“It resonates so well with all audiences,” says partner Herky Pollock, executive vice president of CBRE. “It gives consumers a warm and fuzzy feeling to harken back to an era that exudes clean, wholesome fun.”
The North Shore, Pollock says, “attracts locals and tourists alike. It has over 200 events per year. There is a void for something other than a bar, restaurant or club and it has over 5 million visitors per year.”
The idea for Shorty’s – named for the squat pins, often referred to as “shorties,” used in duckpin bowling — has been bubbling for more than two years.
Located in the former Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery, the 10,000-square-foot space has been gutted down to the studs and will be rebuilt from scratch. A 5,000-square-foot outdoor area will boast fire pits, tables and chairs and comfortable seating. In addition to the old-fashioned pastimes, patrons can play life-sized beer pong and giant Jenga.
Pollock, who teamed up with Burgatory owners Mike Hanley and Jerry Dilembo to create the concept, says they based it off of national trends in the experiential entertainment industry. There will be more than 35 draft beers on tap at two large bars, as well as signature cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages.
While there won’t be a full menu, Shorty’s will offer domestic and international street foods with an emphasis on tacos. Food will be sold from a refurbished shipping container outside.
There is no target demographic, Pollock tells us. The venue aims to please everyone.
“Truly, Shorty’s will transcend the age and socio-economic strata,” Pollock says. “We will have families and kids during the day and millennials to adults in the evenings. It will be a place where everyone feels a little bit cooler and a bit more hip.”