By After a brief hiatus over the summer, Silverball, the beloved arcade bar in downtown Columbia, is preparing to reopen in October.
Owner Nic Parks says this revamped version of Silverball will have “more games than we have ever had before with a good variety of old school and newer games.” Silverball will also no longer serve food, as Parks says he wants to focus on “being a great arcade bar.” But, Parks says the beloved slush drinks will remain, with the addition of more non-alcoholic options.
After switching management in 2022 to take time to work on his other ventures, including Lakside Ashland, Parks says Park Amusements is resuming management to change its marketing plan. “The advertising got off track, and if we revamp the arcade bar and get the marketing on point, we realized it will be successful,” Parks says. In order to make the changes, Parks closed Silverball’s doors in July, with hopes of reopening in the fall, better than ever.
Now, the plan is for Silverball to debut on Oct. 6. “I am confident people want it back, and people have suggestions on what it should be, and we are listening to those comments about the number of games and types of games.”
There was talk of turning Silverball into a piano bar, but ultimately, Parks says he still believes Columbia needs an arcade bar. “They are successful across the country, so there is no reason why it shouldn’t work here in Columbia,” Parks says.
For more information on the reopening, visit Silverball on Facebook.
