originally published: 11/27/2017

(NEWARK, NJ) -- If you've been looking for a place to drink craft beer and play classic video games in Newark, you're in luck! On Tuesday, December 12 at 3:00pm, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Barcade owner Paul Kermizian, Audible.Com founder and CEO Don Katz, and The Fidelco Group Chairman Marc E. Berson will cut the ribbon to open Barcade.

Barcade - "The Original Arcade Bar" - offers customers American craft beer from local and regional breweries, classic video games from the 1980s and 1990s, pinball machines, a full bar, and a menu of sandwiches and classic pub food.

Situated a few steps from NJ Transit's Broad Street station and across the street from Rutgers Business School and Audible's Newark headquarters, Barcade will draw its customer base and energy from the growing Washington Park business and education community, as well as future development set for the Newark Bears-Eagles Riverfront Stadium site.

There are locations in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Connecticut, owned by four friends; Paul Kermizian, Pete Langway, and brothers Kevin and Scott Beard.

The original Barcade was opened in 2004 in a former metal shop on Union Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. At the time of the opening, Kevin and Scott were working in graphic design, Paul in film and television, and Pete in advertising. Paul had just completed directing the feature film “American Beer”, a road trip documentary profiling the American craft beer industry, and the friends were spending time drinking craft beer and playing the classic 1980’s video games that lined the walls of Paul’s Williamsburg loft.

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Those beer and game filled nights inspired the group to open a neighborhood bar centered on American craft beer and classic video games. They quit their day jobs, maxed out their credit cards and began work on Barcade.

Barcade has received numerous accolades, including being named one of the best bars in America by Esquire Magazine in 2008, the best bar in New York City for its Brooklyn location in 2013, and best craft beer bar in Philadelphia by the TV show Brew Dogs in 2013.

Here's a video showing their Brooklyn location.