Page 6 - BusinessWest May 11, 2026

Just some of the local art to be found at the General Store.
Staff Photo
For this issue, BusinessWest talked with Jones and many doing
business in the Mill District, or soon to do so, about this evolving
concept and the diverse mix of ventures that are drawing visitors
from across town and well beyond.
Flipping the Script
McDonough joked that her affection for pinball, developed while
she was working toward her master’s degree at the UVM, probably
put off her thesis by a year.
“I did a lot of procrastinating playing pinball,” she said, noting
that one game in particular, The Addams Family, became especially
addictive.
It was among the first machines she acquired when she
started building her collection, and it will be one of those on
the floor at Tilted Orbit Arcade when it opens its doors, she
said, adding that, before settling on the Mill District as home
for her venture, she considered several other sites, includ-
ing the Canal Lanes bowling alley in Southampton when it
briefly came on the market.
The Mill District site offers what she was looking for,
she said, meaning visibility and an opportunity to attract a
diverse customer base, and also take advantage of a resur-
gence for pinball.
“It’s making a comeback; it started during COVID,”
she noted. “Right now, pinball is serving mostly the male
population, ages 40 to 65, but women are up and coming,
and there’s a whole tournament world out there as well as
leagues.”
McDonough said she’s looking to attract a wide audi-
ence that crosses all age groups, “families, seniors, teen-
agers, college students, and adults.” And not just for pinball,
but also the golf simulator, some arcade games, and other
attractions she will offer, although the overriding goal is to
inspire all those groups is to get them introduced to pinball and
make them regulars.
The Tilted Orbit Arcade is one of many new developments at
the Mill District, which has been in a seemingly constant state of
change since it opened, and the Cow Barn is where Jones began a
detailed tour of the property.
Other stops included the town common area and spot for the
new pavilion, which will provide larger, better space for the many
types of events held there, and, especially, a roof, which will cut
down on the rainouts and other weather problems that occurred
with frequency last year or moving events to cramped indoor
quarters.
“You can’t count on the weather in New England, and this will
make it much easier to plan things,” said Jones, noting that the facil-
ity is being designed and built by Hardwick Post and Beam, and
“You can’t count
on the weather
in New England,
and this will make
it much easier to
plan things.”
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6 << FEATURE >>
MAY 11, 2026
Business W est