Joe Cool Cafe closing

Bret said:

It's hard to screw up pizza, although Dominos seems to find a way to do it consistently.

Geauga Lake one year the pizza was so awful that my family had ordered two and gave one away to a family of complete strangers because we just didn't want any more. We weren't full it was just that bad.

codeGR said:

Could part of the Coliseum be repurposed for a Harmony Hall-esque area? I haven't been in there in a few years so can't recall the size of the area, and I've never been upstairs.

I like your Idea a lot!

I'd rather have a nice new buildings for a Harmony Hall type place then the recycled Coliseum.

Pete said:
I'd rather have a nice new buildings for a Harmony Hall type place then the recycled Coliseum.

But you can't remove anything that's been at CP for more than 20 years because it's "historic"

You're right. Let's discuss that this weekend during a relaxing ride on Space Spiral.

In decades past, the Coliseum's ground floor housed an "authentic German rathskeller", so it does have a history of selling food and drinks.

That said, I'd guess it's more likely Cedar Fair would rather invest in a custom built, ADA compliant food service facility than retrofitting a very old building that churns out a nice profit thanks to all the arcade games.

I'm not in any way suggesting the removal of the Coliseum, whatever food service is built should be in a different location. The Colosseum can stay like it is, it works just fine as an arcade.

Pete said:

I'm not in any way suggesting the removal of the Coliseum, whatever food service is built should be in a different location. The Colosseum can stay like it is, it works just fine as an arcade.

AGREED.....DO NOT TOUCH THE COLISEUM! I love the arcade and would be so sad to see it go. I oftentimes go in there and relive my childhood days of spending my hard earned quarters for hours on end. That being said, HOWEVER, we definitely need MORE dining options at the park. This is why I skipped on the all season dining plan. The food at CP, quite frankly, doesn't warrant me spending my hard earned money on sub par (and i'm being polite here) quality food. I don't mind spending a little extra on food in amusement parks, as a matter of fact, I expect that, but give me something in return, as in QUALITY food that makes my belly happy. It's not rocket science. But, back to topic, I never did eat Joe Cool's and I don't have kids, so it won't affect me. The only thing I'll miss are the clean bathrooms in there. I would often go in there to use the facilities when I didn't want to be bothered with the main bathrooms situated elsewhere in the park.

I'm a little late to the party, but first I want to point out that I like Bret and I got a little chuckle from him/her :)

Vote me in for a Harmony Hall/Festhaus type environment. That would be a great hit at Cedar Point. The only thing is, if the Colesium was used for this, would you rather it be on the top or bottom floor?

It's my understanding that the upper level has ADA accessibility issues, unfortunately. I've been in the ballroom a few times, it's a beautiful space.

The arcade is a great use of that space: minimal staffing needs, minimal maintenance needs and all those quarters* add up.

*I'm assuming. I haven't played an arcade game, anywhere, in years.

I think the quarters do add up and the arcade is very popular but the games have really shifted away from video games to redemption games. Arcades seem more like casinos now than your typical video game arcade of years past.

Based simply on the games we have at the theater, the prize games account for about 2/3 of the income but only 1/3 of the space. That's after subtracting the cost of the prizes.

They do need quite a bit of maintenance and upkeep, and that's with less than a dozen games.

Standing corrected. Aside from the men's room at the corner of the building, I haven't been in the Coliseum for quite a few years.

If I recall my trip from earlier this summer correctly, I want to say it was about an even half/half redemption vs arcade games when before it was more of 1/3 redemption 2/3 arcade.

The beachside wall is still where the oldest pinball and arcade machines are, but in a way the placement makes perfect sense. Having the prizes and redemption games closest to the main midway means you're much more likely to get impulse gamers to come inside than if you had the old games there.

What are the ADA compliant issues for the top level?

There's only stairs, no elevators, and the different levels that the tables are set up on, that lead to the bathroom, don't have any ramps.

I don't know if that would be the biggest issue they'd face, though. The ballroom doesn't have HVAC, and in the summer, it's a freaking sauna up there. Does anyone remember the Coastermania where we had a Q&A up there? Talk about sweltering.

There are likely other code issues that would also have to be addressed. To be used as Class A-2 assembly with over 100 people, the building would need a fire protection sprinkler system. I'm pretty sure it is currently an unprotected building. Seeing as how it has gone unused for so long, I doubt they would be grandfathered in.

As of this year, there is an elevator that leads to the second level of the ballroom that is facing Planet Snoopy.

Ramps are an easy build.

I can see HVAC being a necessity.

I'm not sure of the elevation change from the ball room floor to the bathroom. But at a ratio of 1:12, a small change in height can equate to some pretty long ramps.

Ohio Handicap Ramp Regulations: http://www.ehow.com/list_6868731_ohio-handicap-ramp-regulations.html

Also, I haven't stepped one foot into those bathrooms and could pretty much guarantee they aren't up to ADA standards.