Beach Arcade gets a new name

Beach Arcade in Rehoboth Beach has a new name.

The arcade at 5 North Boardwalk, in operation since 1985, is now known as Zelky’s Beach Arcade, an homage to owner Matthew Weiner’s father, Chuck, who started the arcade. Zelky was a nickname Chuck was given by his aunt when Chuck was a kid.

“I think people will find it as a great way to make memories,” Weiner said. “That’s what we’re really all about - people coming in and making those beach memories that will last a lifetime.”

Last year, Zelky’s merged with Playland arcades on the south end of the Boardwalk, and all three locations will now be called Zelky’s.

“We wanted to make the point that all the points and gameplay were viable at all three locations,” Weiner said.

With the new name comes a new logo, a pink elephant.

“Our original logo is one my mother drew in the late ‘80s.” Weiner said. “We decided we wanted to give it a fresher look, a little bit of a facelift.” 

For gamers, the biggest change is swipe cards. Customers can now purchase a swipe card instead of using coins or bills. With the card, Weiner, 29, said gamers can get bonus plays, and gamers who put $25 on the card will get an extra $5 in bonus plays for any of the machines. Weiner said the cards also have VIP programs that give discounts on prizes and gameplay as well as invitations to VIP events. The cards work at all three Zelky’s locations.

For anyone who still wants to use coins and bills, Weiner said the machines will still take them.

Also new is a website and blog, run by 20-year-old Solomon Hanes, who has been marketing the new Zelky’s brand. Hanes writes blog posts that offer updates on the changes at the arcades.  

Despite the changes, the Beach Arcade experience remains largely the same. One of the arcade’s biggest selling points is its 10-cent Skee-Ball games.

“It’s a Boardwalk classic,” Weiner said.

For Weiner and his family, Beach Arcade has been a way of life. His father started the place, his mother worked there, his grandparents have worked there, and his sister has worked there. Originally from Baltimore, Weiner said, his father always loved the beach, working in Ocean City before coming to Rehoboth.

“There’s pictures of me and my sister sitting right here on this prize counter,” he said. “Being a little kid, we’d go out to the beach, and I’d get too hot from the sun. I would come in and put a change bag on and would be walking around here, a 7-year-old kid, asking people if they need change. It was so much fun to be able to do that.”

Zelky’s Beach Arcade opens weekends at 10 a.m. Starting Memorial Day weekend, the arcade will open at 9 a.m. For more information on Zelky’s, call 227-1040. To read the blog, visit zelkysbeacharcade.wordpress.com.