By Bailey Buckingham
Within Buda and Kyle are two family-friendly businesses that not only offer entertainment experiences for any age group, but also have experienced success due to the growth in the area.
EVO Entertainment opened its Kyle location in 2014, and Pinballz Kingdom in Buda opened its doors in the same year. Both businesses attract business from residents within and outside of Hays County.
Mitchell Roberts, EVO Entertainment CEO, said the motivation for opening a location in Kyle was due to the rapid growth the city has seen over the years, along with the desire to fill the need of an entertainment venue in the area.
“(Kyle) is a flourishing city, that at the time was in need of an extraordinary venue to get together and have a good time,” Roberts said. “We had been developing the EVO model and decided to stick close to home with it. We couldn’t be happier with that decision.”
EVO Entertainment is based out of San Marcos and owns Starplex Cinema in San Marcos, Creekside Cinema in New Braunfels, EVO in Kyle and the soon-to-be open venue, The Spot, in San Marcos.
EVO offers a range of entertainment options from movies to a full bar, which makes the business successful for all age groups, Roberts said.
“Our guests come in all ages,” Roberts said. “That’s the beauty of EVO, there is something for everyone. It is definitely more of a family friendly environment, which understandably isn’t what some people look for in a venue.”
Roberts said EVO has been successful in its alcohol sales. In May 2016, EVO collected roughly $54,800 in alcohol sales, which was the second highest amount collected in Kyle.
“Central Texas is really exploding right now, with breweries popping up and brewing some fantastic product,” Roberts said. “We’ll keep working harder than ever to highlight those local talents and give our guests the best quality product.”
“We love the city of Kyle, we love Central Texas and we couldn’t be anymore proud to be a part of this community,” Roberts said.
Jeremy Mendoza, Pinballz Kingdom operations manager, said the Buda location was meant to represent a new and evolved Pinballz, as it is the second location for the company.
The original location in Austin is BYOB with a small cafe for snacks and drinks.
“Pinballz Kingdom (in Buda) has a full bar and restaurant added to the existing arcade idea,” Mendoza said. “We have two outside bars to accommodate live music, shows and parties.”
Mendoza said the Buda location has had tremendous success within the mid-twenties age range. In the past year, they have seen growth in their food and beverage sales.
In May 2016, Pinballz Kingdom collected nearly $48,000 in alcohol sales, which was the second highest in the city.
“We are constantly working to exceed the expectations of not only the owners, but our patrons as well,” Mendoza said.
