
Retro Feels + Modern Thrills: A gamer’s paradise
By Jillian Chandler
Born in Singapore, Beverly Lee moved to the U.S. many years ago. She’s lived in big cities across Asia, Europe and the U.S., most recently Denver, Colorado, before she and her husband Eric relocated to Spokane for his work in 2019.
Though Beverly’s background is in economics and chemistry, working in the energy and mining industry — with her work experience including everything from mining and clean energy research to oil and gas — she pursued a new endeavor and opened Chaos Arcade in Spokane.
“I’ve moved a lot in my life and have always firmly believed in integrating myself into the community,” Beverly reflects. “I’m a gamer, and with all the problems out there, I wanted a place that was an escape from all the problems floating in the world; something where I could bring joy to the community and have it be my career.”
Opened in March of 2021, Chaos Arcade offers 90-plus arcade games ranging from the old-school games and Skee Ball to modern ticket games. “We also have a fair amount of import games and, with that, a strong gamer community who are fans of these import race/rhythm games,” she shares. “On top of that, we have our free-roam arena that offers a multiplayer tetherless experience. Gamers can choose from arcade-style games in VR that focus more on shooters and mini games, or they can choose a longer VR escape room experience.”
All the gaming excitement is sure to work up an appetite, so Chaos Arcade offers pizzas, house-made cupcakes and a wide selection of beverages (including espresso drinks, frappes, energy Italian sodas, beer, wine, seltzers, and boba — including alcoholic boba ) from their café. “We’re big on parties as well for those wanting to pass on the hassle of planning to someone else,” Beverly adds. “We’ve done everything from birthdays to corporate events — and we even hosted a wedding reception at the arcade!”
Chaos Arcade is also well-known for their prize booth and the uniqueness and quality of their prize selection. “It’s very much a labor of love, as I personally hand pick all our prizes from dozens of vendors,” Beverly smiles.
Since first opening, Chaos Arcade has been voted the Inlander’s Best Arcade each and every year! In 2024, they were also awarded Inlander’s Best Spot for a Kid’s Birthday, which, Beverly acknowledges, “was a huge honor, as there are so many wonderful family friendly spots in Spokane.”
Beverly recently hired a full-time kitchen manager who brings with her more than a decade of experience in fine dining and more than 30 years of kitchen experience. “We are excited to be working toward an elevated and affordable menu that gamers and foodies will enjoy,” she notes. “I really hope that we will be able to showcase some of my favorite foods from my hometown in Singapore someday!”
She teased that soon they will be piloting an all-you-can-eat brunch offering on weekends. “Buffet-style brunches are not very common in Spokane; you’ll be hard pressed to find a place where you can eat all the breakfast food you want and sip on some of the best boba in town — all while you game your heart out.”
When it comes to what Beverly finds most rewarding about this endeavor, it’s the community. “As an owner operator, it’s been incredible to watch some of our regulars become friends and to see some of them even start to date. I love that we even have different groups of gamers who have taken it upon themselves to start their own discord and be so welcoming to others wanting to learn the various games we have to offer.”
For those gamers looking for retro feels and modern thrills, plus great food and drink, Beverly invites you to check out Chaos Arcade in North Spokane.
Chaos Arcade
1020 W. Francis Ave. Ste. H
Spokane, WA
509.866.7417
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