‘The Flipper Room’ in Harmony brings traditional pinball enjoyable to East Bay

CONCORD, Calif. — Come for the customized framing, keep for a number of rounds of pinball.

When Mike Moretti opened “The Art of Picture Framing”, a buddy of his, who owned a demolition enterprise and simply completed a job, approached him and requested if he wished a pinball machine for his breakroom.

“I was like, ‘oh man, no, they’re really heavy,'” Moretti mentioned. “My crew just needs to focus on getting work done.”

Moretti would later rent his buddy’s son, and when his buddy, John, handed away a number of years later, Moretti was once more requested concerning the pinball machine.

“He said, ‘hey, that pinball machine that my dad was going to give you for the break room, what do you think we get that thing going?'” Moretti mentioned. “I said, ‘I think it’s a great idea.’ So we did.”

“Employees would come in on their day off,” Moretti mentioned. “And then somebody added us to ‘The Pinball Map’, which is a crowd-sourced pinball map, and people started coming to play pinball.”

One machine changed into two, and two changed into too many earlier than Moretti had an thought. At a time when his framing enterprise was gradual, he determined to lean into the pinball machines as a secondary supply of earnings.

“I have the space, I have the games,” Moretti mentioned. “I have the drive. And the people want it.”

“But I also told the crew that kept asking for the pinball machines that if we’re going to do this, it needs to have a great presentation,” Moretti mentioned. “because that’s what we do, we’re framers. It’s all about presentation. And so, we need the art to go with the machines, we need the space to look good. A warm environment that people feel safe in.”

The response was greater than Moretti may’ve imagined. Before lengthy, “The Flipper Room” started internet hosting tournaments, fundraisers, and a weekly league evening.

“I’m learning because of the community’s feedback,” Moretti mentioned. “On everything, from the game selection to formats for tournaments and leagues. So, it’s been a learning experience for me, for sure.”

“The Flipper Room” can be a part of the “The Little Flippers” program, a nonprofit group aimed toward introducing children to the social interplay and engagement that comes with pinball.

“We’re trying to grow the hobby for generations to come,” Moretti mentioned. “Because, if you get the kids into it, then, they grow up and they have kids and it keeps on going.”

And what pinball shop-slash-framing retailer could be full with out a “shop cat” named Spacer?

“Spacer the Cat,” Moretti mentioned. “He’s here for the people.”

Moretti says he loves the nostalgia of pinball. He has dozens of machines starting from the 1960’s to trendy video games, and he even runs the machines solely on cash, protecting with custom.

“We get kids in and one of my biggest fascinations is the walk in and they don’t know how to count quarters,” Moretti mentioned. “Then they leave and they know what 25 cents is, 75 cents is, and what makes up a dollar.”

Moretti’s companies have grown and advanced a lot over time that he appears like he is reached the right place for him.

“All of the money we’ve been taking in, I’ve been reinvesting it in growth,” Moretti mentioned, “and I think now is the time to get comfortable, find our niche in life, and be happy. So, I think I’m at that point in life where it’s not about growing the business, it’s about being happy.”