Bowling News

Mega entertainment complex from Austin to open at The Farm in Allen

There'll be bowling, axes, escape rooms, and more.

Courtesy rendering

There's a little bit of Austin fun coming to Allen: High 5 Entertainment, an experiential entertainment company, will open a massive gaming venue in the splashy new development The Farm in Allen, where it promises to unleash a copious dose of games and amusements.

According to a release, it will open a venue in Allen in fall 2023, occupying three-plus acres of frontage on the south side of SH-121/Sam Rayburn Tollway and Alma Road.

High 5 is from Austin, where it made its debut in the Lakeway area in 2016. That was followed by a second location, a smaller boutique entertainment venue in central Austin, that co-founders Jennifer and Scott Emley opened in 2018 with managing partners Keri and Brad Little.

The Allen location will feature traditional High 5 attractions, including:

24 lanes of bowling
2-story laser tag arena
axe throwing
their signature “Up Top” boutique bowling lounge
escape rooms
resort-style miniature golf course

What, no pickleball? The complex will also feature bars, event spaces, and will serve food and beverages.

High 5 will be neighbors with the much-buzzed-about The Hub, an open-air entertainment venue from Seaside, Florida. The developers behind it all feel confident that the synergy of The Hub and High 5 will inaugurate The Farm in Allen as the entertainment mecca for Collin County.

"Our goal at the Farm in Allen is to bring in a diverse tenant mix that will provide Allen and surrounding communities new and innovative options, and we have found that with High 5,” says Bruce Heller, President of JaRyCo, in a statement. "With a heavily landscaped miniature golf course plus options like axe throwing, virtual reality attractions and a full bar and scratch kitchen, High 5 will offer something for everyone, and we so glad to have them join The Farm."

JaRyCo Development, along with original landowners the Johnson family, are choosing venues for The Farm in Allen that will reflect its original history of gathering, community, and making memories.

The Farm in Allen will eventually have office space, retail, a hotel, restaurants, townhomes, and 2,400 urban residential units, a 1.5-acre lake, boardwalk restaurants, hike and bike trails, and a 16-acre greenbelt along Watters Creek.

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Gamer News

Dallas gamer bar leaves Deep Ellum for new address on Greenville Ave

Select Start

A unique gamer venue in Dallas' Deep Ellum is leaving after six years for a new home. Select Start, a game arcade and cocktail bar, is leaving its Deep Ellum address at 2811 Main St. and opening in a prized location at 4503 Greenville Ave., at the corner of SMU Boulevard. They're taking over the former Bangkok Thai restaurant, which had been there for 30 years before closing in 2025 — joining a neighborhood known for being a big SMU hangout.

According to a release, the new location is now open.

"Deep Ellum was our home for years, and it will always be a special part of Select Start's story," says co-owner Danny Wilson in a statement. "We wanted to find a location where we could keep everything people love about Select Start while introducing the experience to a new audience. Greenville Avenue gives us that opportunity, and we're excited to bring something different to an already incredible nightlife scene."

Select Start initially opened in Deep Ellum in 2018, with a unique profile that combined modern arcade games, cocktails, DJs, and interactive entertainment. Plus a bar serving ice cream and floats with soda, beer, and booze like a Jack Daniels & Coke float.

The new Select Start spans approximately 3,500 square feet, centered around an island bar. Features include Tetris-inspired floor tiles, and a 7-by-11-foot LED wall adjacent to the DJ booth that will showcase sporting events, DJ visuals, and private party entertainment.

Modern arcade games offered include Mario Kart, NBA Smash N Win, Aliens Armageddon, Halo Fireteam Raven, four-player Pac-Man Battle Royale, Guitar Hero and Whack a Clown.

Additional attractions include four basketball shooting games, two Skee-Ball lanes, a punching bag game, pool table, air hockey, photo booth, and nine claw machines stocked with everything from stuffed animals and Labubus to mystery boxes and oversized ducks. Six televisions at the bar are equipped with Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch consoles.

One major addition: a full kitchen with a walk-up ordering window, serving bar bites and late-night snacks until 2 am.

The menu features burgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders, fries, fried pickles, and tater tots, plus egg rolls in three flavors: Philly cheesesteak, veggie, and "Southern" with smoked chicken, black beans, and corn.

Select Start is part of Blender Brands, a hospitality, nightlife, and entertainment group founded in 2015 by Danny Wilson and Jacob Cox, whose growing portfolio includes Assembly Park in Plano (home to Cliff Coffee, Three Links, and Assembly Ice House); COBA After-Hours in Dallas; and Good Side Pizza Pub.

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