Game on! The video game arcade and bar Fire Betty’s reopens Friday, May 1.
In early April 2026, the Manor at Midtown attraction — located next door to El Rey Tacos & Beer — announced that it was closing to gear up “for a comeback.”
The reopening celebration starts at 9 p.m. Friday, May 1, and lasts until 2 a.m.
The festivities continue at noon on May 2 with fun for the whole family. At 9 p.m. the Midtown bar transitions into an arcade bar experience for all those ages 18 and up.
“We’re bringing Fire Betty’s back as an arcade bar with new food, new drinks, and a killer mix of modern games and original arcade classics,” the company said in a Facebook post April 30.
While closed, the company kept patrons in the loop about their hunt to find what they call the “best arcade games on Earth,” asking what people wanted to see in a couple of Facebook posts. Their search even had them “risking tetanus and bad cell service,” as they visited a barn where they met a goat dubbed “Billy da Goat.”
A few games requested from customers in the comments included Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, Centipede, Mortal Kombat, Tempest, Galactica and more.
More on Fire Betty’s Arcade Bar
Partners Costa Vathis and Derek Hart, owner of Danger Hart Hospitality, opened the video game arcade and bar in 2014.
Along with Fire Betty’s, the company also produced Midtown favorites Finnegan’s Wake Irish Pub and Duke’s & Dottie’s.
Hart later sold Fire Betty’s, but those owners decided to relinquish the storefront as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
They made upgrades in 2021, opening on the other side of the Manor @ Midtown retail center, in the former home of Fifth & Thomas, an event venue that closed in May 2020.
The strip mall, which was once the Rhodes Furniture store before being redeveloped in the early 2000s, is well known as the home of RedEye Coffee’s Midtown outpost.
The extra space allotted for more room and a better performance stage, Hart said in a previous interview with the Tallahassee Democrat.
This article includes previously reported information. Kyla A Sanford covers dining and entertainment for the Tallahassee Democrat. New restaurant opening up, special deals, or events coming up? Let me know at ksanford@tallahassee.com. You can also email your suggestions for a future TLH Eats restaurant profile.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Back in the game: Tallahassee’s arcade and bar Fire Betty’s reopening
Reporting by Kyla A Sanford, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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