Made In Chicago: Level 257
(CBS) -- Walk into the 42,000 square foot Level 257 at Woodfield Mall, you might feel a little nostalgic.
The first-of-its-kind in the world, the Pac Man inspired restaurant, bowling alley, game room, party headquarters is the brain child of NAMCO, founder of the original arcade game.
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"Pac Man just turned 35 in May. We're known for our arcades so we were looking for the next thing we could do with an arcade and where we should be taking it in the 21st century," said marketing manager Natalie Couzins.
The space is the old Sears warehouse transformed into an adult playground.
"This place is designed for adults, we didn't design it for children although children love it which is great," said Couzins.
16 boutique, retro looking bowling lanes, a 160 seat restaurant and a 70 arcade game lounge, complete with a fireplace, foosball table, board games and books.
"We've got Pac Man, Super Pac Man, Baby Pac Man, we've got Centipede, Galaga, and Q*bert and all these great games but we also have new games too include the new Jurassic Park and Star Wars."
The arcades are played with time cards which allow people to play as long or as little as they'd like.
"You buy a time card, you can buy an hour's worth of time and you can keep playing those games until your time runs out. It's a different concept, nobody's done it before."
The space's marquee is in the bar where there's a giant screen to play the four player Pac Man Battle Royale game.
"We think we have the largest screen you can play it on in the world. It's a huge, 14 foot HD screen."
The name stems from the 255 levels in the original Pac Man game. The level 256 "kill" screen is something that few gamers have ever experienced.
"Level 257 is the next dining and entertainment beyond that."
The venue opened in March and has already hosted birthdays, corporate events and is even hosting a wedding in October. Couzins says it's constantly evolving but will always emphasize the culture of play.
"If you're a fan of Pac Man, you will find a lot of different references, but very subtle references. But if you're not a gamer, you're still going to have a great time with us. The restaurant is high end. Yes we serve burgers and pizzas but we also serve Filet Mignon and great salads."
Couzins says Level 257 is for the diner, the bowler, the gamer, the kid in all of us.
"We're mixing the old and the new together because we really want people to try something new."
Level 257 also has its own retail store with Pac Man and gamer related items for sale.
For more information visit Level257.com.
