GREENWOOD VILLAGE | After more than a year stuck mostly in pandemic solitaire, summer hangouts are back, and the opening of Pindustry in Greenwood village reminds us just how much we missed sharing a pizza and playing a few games of bowling with friends.
That, and that downtown Denver isn’t required for a quality hangout like it once was.
The 54,500 square feet entertainment venue on Arapahoe Road had a soft opening this weekend, featuring more than a dozen lanes of traditional and duckpin bowling (smaller balls, lighter pins and no special shoes necessary), vintage-inspired arcade games and one of the biggest sky decks in the metroplex.
A regulation-sized corn hole arena, ping pong tables, Italian cuisine and 10 rotating craft beer taps round out the venue’s regular offerings.
A small stage at the back of the venue will feature live entertainment chosen to complement musicians playing nearby Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater, and guests can expect a DJ on the sky deck for Sunday brunch.
“We researched and visited the most popular eatertainment and bartainment concepts around the country to put together a diverse mix of activities at Pindustry,” Bob Koontz, developer of the project who has been working along the corridor for more than three decades, said in a statement. “We are here to have fun, love each other, and be human.”
Koontz wanted duckpin bowling to be the centerpiece of the venue, it being a more approachable way to enjoy the pastime. But shoes are available for rental and regular-sized lanes play up the venue’s roots in nostalgia. An impressive array of arcade games and pinball machines are an easy way to spend your time at Pindustry too.
The Denver millennial’s dream hang out, which has capacity for 2,300 guests, is camouflaged in a standard suburban shopping center. Developers transformed a former used car center into the venue with the help of the recently-established Arapahoe Entertainment District. Tax rebates are available to developers that revamp old buildings into entertainment destinations along the corridor, west of I-25.
More venues are expected to join Pindustry in the future, the next a food and beer hall.
Grange Hall, the 13,000 square feet brainchild of chef and restaurateur Troy Guard, will open down the street in August. It’s to be a collection of “Denver’s most brilliant minds in food, beer and booze,” according to Guard’s TAG Restaurant Group website.
Burgers, fried chicken, lots of beer, sushi and ice cream are expected to fill the hall alongside two eateries from the TAG Restaurant Group, one a fast-casual noodle bowl joint and the other that features thick-crust pizza.
Pindustry’s food offerings are Italian-inspired, elevating the bowling experience to more of a dining experience. Charcuterie boards, salads, specialty toasts and wood-fired pizzas replace the traditional greasy fare of bowling alleys past.
A grand opening of Pindustry is planned for July 17. The venue currently opens at 4 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. on weekends. It’s located at 7939 E. Arapahoe Rd.