While it is unfortunate that traditional department stores like Sears and Macy’s have struggled and eventually closed down at malls around the country, these shutdowns can create space for new and exciting experiences like Round1 Bowling and Arcade, which has taken Sears’ former location at Chandler Fashion Center.

Before Round1 Bowling and Arcade was built, Sears, the legendary early 2000s department store, was in its place. Aaron Keeports, a content marketing manager for Cleo, states that Sears shut down due to “Strategy flaws, missed opportunities, and costly miscalculations that eventually crippled the brand.” Sears failed to keep up with today’s standards and made poor decisions, eventually leading to their downfall.

Our personal experience at Round1 was a new one. Sure, other places like Main Event are similar, but Round1 is a new spin on the classic arcade formula. Seeing new arcades and games we hadn’t seen anywhere else was refreshing. There were VR headsets, and
this was something that hadn’t been seen to my knowledge. The atmosphere was playful, and all you wanted to do was play all the games there.

Aaron Doan, a junior at Chandler High School, recently shared his thoughts and opinions with us. Aaron stated, “The place had lots of games you would see at Dave and Buster’s, and there was pool and bowling. They had a variety of options for food, and on grand opening day, they offered everyone a free slice of pizza and drink.” Aaron also shared that the vibe was chill and very welcoming. The workers were friendly, and the service was good as well. Overall, Aaron rated Round1 a 9/10 and recommended
visiting the place.

Isaac Sarmiento, a senior at Chandler High School, visited Round1, and we asked him about his experience there. Isaac stated, “Yeah, it’s a cool arcade; they have some of the same games I saw in Japan.” Isaac also told  us that there were a lot of rhythm games, claw games, and cool music games for all kinds of people to play. Round1 gave him the vibes of Dave and Busters or like
any other arcade. Isaac thought Round1 was a fun place to visit, and he thought you should try it.

Round1 Bowling and Arcade are like any other arcade and bowling, but some people enjoy them better than those other options. Round1 is just so new, and exploring something new like this brought us joy. Aaron Doan and Isaac Sarmiento shared this joy about Round1 and brought it to life. Round1 Bowling and Arcade is here, and it’s here to stay, so you might as well go have fun
and give it a chance.