The Atlanta complex was the fourth of a chain of 13 for the Dallas-based company. RW GoodTimes, which opened last summer on Jimmy Carter Boulevard in Norcross, and StarTime Cinema, scheduled to open in Roswell in August, chose Atlanta as test sites. The northern suburbs of Atlanta have appeal because of the high concentration of high-income patrons. Lines at the doors of local restaurants throughout the metro region reflect Atlantans' affinity for dining out, said Ken Bernhardt, Regents' professor of marketing at Georgia State University. The cocooning society didn't happen like everyone thought it was going to.
People have less time and they have to maximize the time that they do have.
GameWorks, Steven Spielberg's virtual reality video arcade and restaurant, has looked in Atlanta for a site. There seems to be room in the marketplace for many such complexes, Paine said. Of course, many are not so close to our concept as they would like to think they are. It's hard to match us for upscale entertainment and food in this market. It replaced tokens with debit cards, for example, and has added more televisions to attract sports fans to its bar.