Page 41 - BusinessWest July 7, 2021

The disco
lights are on again at Interskate 91, and Sarah O’Brien is expecting the crowds to return.
Replay Value
Bujak said the experience of the past 15 months has made him a different person. At the start of the pandemic, he saw himself as an indi- vidual business owner who worried about losing his dream. He didn’t realize that Prodigy was big- ger than just him.
“There was a community of people who said, ‘you can’t close,
I need this place. The pandemic proved that it’s not just about me, it’s about hundreds of people who use Prodigy as a place to get away and play the games they can’t play anywhere else.”
“There was a community of people who said, ‘you can’t close, I need this place,’” he told Busi- nessWest. “The pandemic proved that it’s not just about me, it’s about hundreds of people who use Prodigy as a place to get away and play the games they can’t play anywhere else.”
Now that he can operate at full capacity, Bujak is grateful his business has survived and he can once again take care of his regular customers and introduce Prodigy to new ones.
“Here we are,” he said, “back to normal-ish.” u
no longer had to wear masks in retail settings, and bounce houses, roller rinks, bowling alleys, and similar businesses could once again operate at full capacity.
“On the first weekend where people didn’t have to wear masks, we had lots of families and kids come in,” O’Brien recalled. “ Our regulars were so excited that we were open again.”
Blais admits seeing the return of people bowl- ing was an emotional experience. “It’s very nice to hear bowling balls hitting the pins again.”
Doty is looking forward to finally getting use out of the laser-tag room. “Now that we’re fully
open, we’re getting the word out about our laser tag and our expanded arcade,” he said, adding that he’s also looking forward to booking birthday parties and other group events.
To recognize the challenging 16 months every- one has gone through, Spare Time has begun offering weekly Service Industry Nights to work- ers in the restaurant industry.
“I’ve been talking with the restaurants in town, and we offer them free bowling from 9 to 11 p.m., and they have the place to themselves,” Blais said. “We are extending our service nights to our police and fire departments as well.”
Golf Tournament
Cancer House of Hope
MONDAY • SEPT 13, 2021
Twin Hills Country Club, Longmeadow, MA For more information visit
chd.org/golfingforhope.
Sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact Margaret Toomey at [email protected] or 413-733-1858.
17th Annual
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SPORTS & LEISURE
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