There are classics such as Ms Pacman, Frogger, Galaga, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Off-road to name a few. Right now there is just one retro pinball machine, though there are plans to add more as the business grows.
Retro Oasis is owned and operated by husband and wife team Steve and Gina Smith. Steve was looking for a career change and decided to share his enthusiasm for classic arcade gaming. Gina suggested diversifying by adding escape rooms to the business model, something they both enjoyed doing themselves. In the past, Steve and Gina would put on extravagant Halloween yard haunts for their local neighborhood to enjoy, with hand built props and sets, one year even included a 300 sq ft cabin in their backyard.
With a combined history of DIY home renos and detailed Halloween set designs, putting together escape rooms played right into their skill set. “The super fun part is getting to be creative,” Gina said, showing off some of her latest props. “And then we had a lot of families asking us if we had escape rooms for kids and we hadn’t really heard of that before. So we looked at each other and discussed what we could do to create a ‘junior version’ of our escape rooms and they have been well received!” With the only junior escape rooms in the greater Calgary area that are designed specifically for kids aged 7-11 to play, it seems to fill a niche that no one knew was missing.
Birthday parties were always a part of the original plan, however. Steve is just a big kid at heart and his desire to share his love of video games has been apparent since his own kids were born. “A lot of the kids that come in have never seen a proper vintage arcade before, an arcade like what their parents, and even grandparents, remember. I wanted to bring that experience to them and I hope that 20-30 years down the road they have the same fond memories of the arcade that the older generations do”, Steve reflects fondly. The younger crowd are drawn in by the lights and sounds of a vintage arcade and birthday parties are growing in popularity as the word spreads. Steve recalls opening day: “We were a month behind our planned opening and had only 13 arcade games ready vs our intended 20, but we had a hard date to open, as we had a birthday party booked on that day. It went great and everyone had fun, the Simpsons was very popular for the party goers. Thanks Jordan!”
Offering a little something for everyone, Retro Oasis has become a destination for families, team building and even sports teams. Co-owner Gina comments, “We love seeing the smiles on their faces and the joy it brings everyone. It’s the best feeling in the world to bring happiness to people.”
Community is also very important to the couple, supporting local small businesses as much as possible by retailing local products, also working with nonprofits such as Inclusion Foothills. Steve and Gina’s sons both work at Retro Oasis part-time. Challenges with autism, ADHD and anxiety are part of life for this hard working family so inclusion and inclusive employment is paramount. “We have our regular customers that are on the autism spectrum and their families love coming in for a chat with people who understand their challenges”, said Gina.
Conveniently located between Okotoks Cinemas and the Millenium Lanes, the Okotoks Entertainment Plaza on North Railway Street is great for anyone looking for some local entertainment in the same location.
