Williamson County native Nathan Mallory never planned on opening an arcade, but when he resigned from an executive position in April 2021, he began asking for help from above to reveal the next step for his career. “The entire business plan came to me at once,” Mallory says. “The name, the floor plan, the business model, the reasoning, even the scripture it would be named after [John 15:11 …that your joy may be full]. I stayed up all night writing it down.”
The only problem—he and his wife had no extra money to invest into a new business venture. Mallory says his wife was totally against the idea until God spoke to her about the matter. “The Lord replied to her, ‘Why are you worried about money? I can provide. Check your mail.’” Inside the mailbox, she found an envelope full of cash from an anonymous donor. This happened two more times that week, all addressed From Your Friend.
The money kept coming as close friends and family pooled their resources, and in February 2022, Joyfull Arcade opened for business. “We’ve created a fun, safe, and very cool place for gamers of all ages, focusing on the ‘play together’ aspect of gaming,” Mallory says. The consoles and PCs are linked by more than 40 in-house accounts, enabling everyone in the arcade to play the same game simultaneously with the push of a button. According to Mallory, this is a unique concept in the industry. “Even our software company that serves hundreds of amusement parks and arcades says there’s no one doing what we’re doing.”
There’s truly something for everyone at Joyfull Arcade. If you’re a fan of retro games, you’ll want to check out the 10 custom-built arcade towers that offer more than 10,000 games from the 1970s to the 2000s. For music lovers, there’s a Rock Band room with special-edition instruments and surround-sound. The arcade also has motion cockpit simulators, 12 gaming PCs, and 5K virtual reality with the same headsets used by NASA and SpaceX for training.
Private party rooms are available, as well as couches and massive screens that make Joyfull Arcade the perfect hangout spot. Mallory and his team have worked hard to create a safe and welcoming environment for gamers. If you want to join in the fun, stop by the arcade at 2001 Campbell Station Parkway, Suite 4A in Spring Hill. JoyfullArcade.com