Round1 Bowling & Arcade to open this summer in former Sears Grand space at Gurnee Mills
California-based subsidiary of company founded in Japan looking to expand in U.S.
An aggressively expanding arcade/entertainment business will be filling a long vacant space at Gurnee Mills.
Round1 Bowling & Arcade plans to open a 70,000-square-foot center this summer offering bowling, billiards, arcade games, karaoke, party rooms, kids play zone and all-inclusive party packages, according to Simon Property Group, which owns and operates Gurnee Mills.
Plans for Round1 were announced last June, but no opening date was given. Simon this week said the expected opening date for Round1 is in August.
Round1 will occupy a portion of the former Sears Grand department store, said Kelsey Castrejon, director of marketing and business development for Gurnee Mills.
Sears Grand, which had been located near Entry B, closed in September 2018. The store was divided into three spaces as part of a 2021 agreement with the village to help defray costs.
Hobby Lobby opened in a 68,000-square-foot portion of the old Sears in January 2022. Round1 will occupy the mall-side space, Castrejon said.
Round1 is described as a fusion of entertainment and new use expected to attract visitors to Gurnee Mills at 6170 W. Grand Ave., an outlet and full-price shopping mall with more than 200 stores, restaurants and other features.
“With exclusive arcade games straight from Japan, Round1 promises an unparalleled experience that sets it apart from the rest,” according to Simon. Besides pizza, wings and salad, the menu will feature Japanese delicacies such as takoyaki, gyoza and mochi ice cream.
A standard location features eight to 10 bowling lanes, 350 to 400 arcade machines, four to six billiard tables, two to four party karaoke rooms and a 100-seat food/bar area, according to the company website.
What became the first Round1 was established in 1980 as a roller skate facility with arcade games in Japan. It expanded to include a bowling alley and was rebranded as Round One in 1993 and grew to about 100 locations.
Round One Entertainment Inc. Japan opened its first U.S. location in 2010 in a Los Angeles suburb and now has more than 50 sites across the country. According to its website, the company is “actively and aggressively” looking to expand nationwide with an annual target of 10 to 15 new stores.
In the Chicago area, there are Round1 locations at Fox Valley Mall in Aurora and North Riverside Park Mall in North Riverside.