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Vintage Rentals

 

Pacer is getting ready to introduce a new traditional looking quad rental skate called the Vintage.  This will be a lower priced quad rental skate priced to compete with any of the rental skates on the market.  It will come in sizes 12 Jr through 12 adult.  Shipments are a little hard to predict right now, but they’re hoping this will arrive in December.  They did a postcard mailing that some of you may have already seen with pictures and a few details.

 

They are being VERY aggressive with the pricing on this skate.  The regular price on this is going to be less than the New Generation Skate price, in a traditional looking quad rental.  But they’re doing a special to help get it started that will give you a big savings from that price during the month of September (call for details).  This makes the Vintage extremely competitive even against some of the used rentals that are out there.  This special price is definitely just for the month of September, we MUST receive your order in September to qualify for the pre-launch price and reserve your new rentals.  If you need rental skates, please place your order now so you don’t miss out on this.

Inventory Updates

Pink Stardust – Sizes 4,5, 6, and 7 still available from our last shipment.

 

Boardwalk – We just received some red (sizes 5-9) and purple (sizes 5-10) of these popular outdoor hightop models.

 

GT50 Black – Sizes 1-8 are in stock now, larger sizes expected to arrive today (Sept 11) or possibly Monday (Sept 12)

For many years we have hosted a tradeshow at our warehouse here in Roanoke, VA. Due to the current situation of the Covid-19 Pandemic, we will not be able to host a show this year. There is just too much uncertainty going on to be able to host an event like this in Virginia right now. We could list off a bunch of different reasons (building occupancy, catering rules, meeting space, etc.) that most people could appreciate, but it just doesn’t feel right to risk our employee’s or customer’s health in an attempt to sell more skates right now.

We do want to keep our customers updated and give our suppliers a chance to show off their new products. Look for an electronic version of the tradeshow with web site updates, email blasts, pics, etc. We hope to launch this the first week of October and are already working with our vendors to help product content. We are aiming for something that our customers can share with their customers (the skaters) to get them excited. We also hope to have some customer only content with pricing, special sales, etc.

Here are a few new notes on our incoming shipments of inventory.

Chicago – Our next shipment is probably going to be late September.

Sure-Grip – We just received a few of the GT50 skates and pink Stardust. Another shipment from Sure-Grip left California yesterday and should be here in about a week. The next big item from them to arrive will probably be the Fame skates, which will really help.

Bones – A big shipment is on the way, we don’t have details yet on what is in there.

Roller Derby – We received a good shipment of the Lucy adjustables last week. They’re working on several new models but these won’t be ready until later this season.

Disinfectant – We have the lemon and lavender disinfectants in stock as well as a new cleaner designed especially for plastics and plexiglass.

Consider getting orders in now for any of the popular items you need. That way when we do receive shipments you’ll be the first to get product.  Some of these shipments are going to be smaller than what we’d really like, but if you have an order in ahead of time you’ll be at the top of the list when they arrive.

Inventory Updates     

We received a small shipment from Chicago and thought it would be a good idea to send out an updated inventory list for you.  Here is a list of sizes that are currently in stock.  Because many of these are limited quantities, existing Roanoke customers get first priority until Tuesday (Sept 1).

400 (white)  sz 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7

405 (black) sz 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

800 (white) sz 5, 6, 7, 9, 11

805 (black) sz 5, 7, 8, 10, 12

We also have some other items we’d like to update.  Please keep in mind that some of these (especially the larger sizes) might be in very small quantities, so order quick if you’re interested.

Sure-Grip Malibu Black sz 1, 2, 3, 4, 11

Sure-Grip Malibu White sz 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10

Candi Girl 772 Black-Teal  sz 3, 4, 5, 10

Rewind 772 Solid black sz 3, 4, 5, 6

Candi Girl 772 Pink sz 3, 4, 5

Candi Girl 772 Mint sz 3, 4, 5, 6

Candi Girl 772 White sz 3, 4, 5, 6

Candi Girl 774 Seafoam sz 3, 4, 5, 7

Candi Girl 774 Peri sz 3, 4, 5, 6, 8

Candi Girl 774 Raspberry sz 3, 4, 5, 7, 11

Candi Girl 774 Blue sz 4, 5

Stratos White sz 3, 4, 5, 6

Stratos Black sz 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 12

Boardwalk Blue sz 9

Boardwalk Red sz 3, 9

Boardwalk Purple sz 4

Boardwalk Pink sz 5

Stardust Gold sz 3

Stardust Blue sz 3, 4

Stardust Pink sz 3

Stardust black sz 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

We are expecting our next shipment from Sure-Grip very soon.  The next two items aren’t here yet, but should be soon, hopefully next week.  If you’re interested you should consider pre-ordering as we don’t think we’re getting enough to last very long.

Stardust Pink sz 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

GT50 black sz 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

You’ve made a COVID-19 safety plan for your skating rink and you’re working hard to impress your guests in this “new normal.” You may have even deep cleaned your skating rink during the shutdown, or completed some upgrades or remodeling projects. But are you missing some important cleaning opportunities? These are some of the (un)usual suspects that are easy to overlook, but can definitely benefit from additional attention in your cleaning routine. 

Commonly Overlooked Areas When Cleaning and Refreshing Your Rink

Restrooms

Restrooms are an easy area to overlook, but the cleanliness and design of your bathrooms can actually make a big difference in how customers perceive your business. Ask yourself: 

• Could our bathrooms use an upgrade? 
• Are our paper towel and soap dispensers touchless? 
• Do we have seat covers available? 
• Are the changing tables sanitized regularly, and is there sanitizer available for customers? 
• Is the trash touchless? Does the door need a touchless opener?

Menus and Signage

Signs are a frequently overlooked area that can get pretty grubby if left out of the cleaning rotation. Menus are another “usual suspect,” and they are particularly important to sanitize because they’re handled by so many people before eating. Add a menu wipedown to your cleaning protocol, or better yet, switch to a no-contact solution like a menu chalkboard, digital menu board, etc.

Redemption Counter and Prizes

You probably have everything behind a counter, but if not, consider rearranging your displays to prevent kids from digging through the prizes with their (possibly germy) hands. 

Walls

These surfaces are all around us and typically get touched a lot at FECs, but walls are easy to overlook. Consider giving your walls a fresh coat of paint, or better yet, commission a local artist to paint a custom mural for your skating rink. This can even be a marketing opportunity and selling point, especially if it’s a photo op mural that people want to be photographed in front of! 

You can also spruce up empty walls by getting prints made of favorite photos from your rink. Turn it into a contest and have your skaters send in their favorites to be immortalized on the wall. 

Curb Appeal

While not strictly a cleaning tip, keeping an eye on your curb appeal is always a smart move. First impressions matter, and you want your entrance to make a good one, setting expectations for what visitors will find inside. 

Furthermore, perception is reality—a well-kept and appealing exterior communicates to your customers that your facility is clean, safe, and professionally managed. Sweep those sidewalks, freshen up the landscaping, and if needed, upgrade your signage. You might even draw some new customers who have never given your skating rink a second look!

Did you know that video is the most engaging form of digital content? If you have kids or grandchildren, you probably aren’t surprised, as they likely spend a lot of time watching videos on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and Facebook. While you may not “get” the random TikTok dances or YouTube memes, you should still consider ways to use video for marketing your skating rink or FEC. 

In this post, we’ll be sharing some tips for skating rink owners to help you maintain or increase social media engagement and keep your brand top of mind with customers, especially if you’re closed or operating with reduced hours due to the pandemic. 

Increase Social Media Engagement with Video

You truly don’t need fancy equipment to get started making some videos for your skating rink; with a decent smartphone, a bit of practice, and some helpful video tips from the pros, you can start rolling out your own clips in no time. Here are a few ideas to get you started. 

• Showcase all of the improvements you’ve been making to your facility. If you took the time to update, remodel, or otherwise upgrade anything at your skating rink or FEC, now’s the time to unveil it and make sure your customers know. 
• Your staff is an important part of success for any FEC, and we know you’ve got some fun personalities on your team! Show them off with fun videos and introduce them to your customers. Now is a great time to start using TikTok, especially if you have any avid TikTokers or social media savvy employees ready to put their skills to use.
• Go live on Facebook or Instagram to walk customers through your new safety and cleaning protocols. If a picture’s worth a thousand words, a video’s got to be worth 10,000. Many people won’t bother to read through a long text post about your COVID safety measures, but they will watch a video. Just be sure to save it afterwards to your Facebook videos or Instagram highlights. 
• If you are open, showcase people at your facility having fun—even while social distancing! People want to know what it “looks like” out there and are more likely to visit if they see how easy it is to stay safe while still having fun. Plus, knowing that other people are enjoying themselves at your facility will make them more likely to consider visiting.
• Do you teach roller skating lessons? Many skating rinks do, but they don’t necessarily advertise it. Sharing video of a class, or even recording some quick tutorials with “how to’s” for simple skating moves can help get the word out and spark interest in folks who might not have known about your lessons. 
• Most roller skating rinks are extremely involved in and supportive of their communities, from hosting school fundraisers to donating party packages to silent auctions, and so much more. If you have any sort of philanthropic programs at your skating rink, highlight them in a video! People love supporting businesses with a purpose, and knowing that you give back to the community will probably earn you some more loyal customers.

As we write this, some of the states are starting to allow rinks to open back up (usually with restrictions), a few states are still closed, and all of this is certainly subject to change on an hourly basis.  We want to try to keep you as up to date as possible on the inventory situations, so that rinks that are in a position to buy products can know where we stand.  We took some time and tried to get updates from as many vendors as possible, and here is what we know.  Remember that all of this is tentative, subject to change, as usual.

DEODORIZER – We have a good supply of shoe deodorizer in stock right now.  A new shipment with a different scent (lavender) but the same basic properties is on the way.  They’re also going to send us very soon a shipment of plastic cleaner that they recommend for plexiglass.  Remember that the shoe deodorizer doesn’t say this on the can, but the manufacturer’s website shows that this is effective against corona.  This is a much better solution than what some others are using.

CHICAGO – We received a shipment of their 400 (white) skates late last week.  We’re expecting another big shipment, hopefully by August 10, that should get us most of their other products back in stock.

SURE-GRIP – Many of their quad outdoor items are sold out.  They’re working on airing a batch of Boardwalk skates into the USA soon that should help a bit.  Those will be a bit more expensive than normal, to cover the freight costs, but at least that will help with the customers that are in a rush.  Here is a list of some of their skates that ARE IN STOCK NOW.  Most of these are only one or two pair per size, so if you’re interested please act quickly:
Boardwalk Outdoor Red sz 10
Boardwalk Indoor Blue sz 4, 10
Boardwalk Pink Indoor sz 4, 5, 6
Boardwalk Pink Outdoor sz 10
Boardwalk Purple Outdoor sz 4, 5, 6
Stardust Gold sz 3, 4, 5
Stardust Blue sz 3, 4, 5
Stardust Pink sz 3, 5
Stardust Black sz 4, 5, 10, 11
Prism Purple sz 5, 6, 9, 10
Prism Pink sz 5, 9, 10

ROLLER DERBY – The pandemic has slowed down the release of their new items, so we don’t have them yet, but they do have several skates coming later this year that should be winners.  As soon as we have more details on those (including ship dates) we will let you know.  We do still have good supplies on most sizes of the GTX500 skates (their most popular model) and where we are out of a size we probably have it available in a different color scheme.

Many of their outdoor items are sold out right now, but here is a list of some sizes and colors that are CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. Like the Sure-Grip list, many of these are pretty limited quantities, so act quick.
Rewind 772 Solid Black sz 3, 4, 5, 6, 12
Candi 772 Black-Teal sz 3, 4, 5, 6
Candi 772 Pink sz 3, 4, 5
Candi 772 Mint sz 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Candi 772 White sz 3, 4, 5, 6
Candi 774 Seafoam sz 3, 4, 5, 6
Candi 774 Periwinkle sz 3, 4, 5, 6, 11
Candi 774 Raspberry sz 3, 4, 5, 6
Candi 774 Blue sz 4, 5

Food and family entertainment centers go hand in hand, which poses a challenging set of new questions for FECs amid the COVID-19 pandemic. How can you continue to run your cafe, snack counter, or other food service operation while keeping your customers and employees safe and preventing the spread of coronavirus? Keep reading to learn some restaurant safety tips for family entertainment centers.

COVID-19 Food Safety Tips for FECs

Go Menu-less. 

One easy way to reduce contact in the process of ordering food is to go menu-less! Consider posting a QR code that customers can scan on their phones to view your menu, or even using an online ordering system for a completely contactless transaction. 

Provide hand sanitizer at each table. 

In addition to making sure that all restrooms are stocked with soap and paper towels, that signs are posted reminding guests about hand washing and sanitizing, and that hand sanitizing stations are located throughout your facility (especially at high-touch areas like ticket booths or skate rental counters), you can also ensure customer safety by providing hand sanitizer at each table. Simply placing a pump-top jug of sanitizer at every table with a “Please remember to sanitize your hands!” sign makes it quick and easy for customers to enjoy a germ-free meal. 

Remove condiments from tables.

Think about how many people can touch a salt shaker or ketchup bottle during the course of an hour, much less a busy afternoon or evening. Remove condiment bottles and salt and pepper shakers from all dining areas and instead keep them behind the counter with your staff. Staff can provide individual items to customers by request, and wipe them down with disinfectant between uses. 

If you don’t want to deal with disinfecting the bottles between customers, you could instead purchase individually packaged condiments/spices or use condiment containers to portion out condiments in the kitchen. However, due to the extra cost and waste, you may need to charge for dips/sauces to recoup your costs. 

Make sure tables are at least 6-feet apart.

Social distancing is even more important in areas where guests will have their masks off to eat and drink. Measure off 6 feet between tables to make sure there’s enough room, and don’t let patrons move them around without asking. If you have stationary seating like booths or bar stools, you may need to get creative to block them off so customers don’t sit in those spaces. 

Sanitize tables/chairs between uses and mark with a sign that says “This table has been sanitized” to ensure safety to your guests. 

Require employees in food service areas to wear masks AND gloves at all times. 

In addition to requiring your staff to wear masks at all times, any food service employees should also wear gloves and be trained on the importance of changing gloves when contaminated, torn, or compromised in any way. You should also be monitoring compliance to ensure that employees are wearing their masks properly—a mask worn around the neck or under the nose is not effective.   

 

Keep abreast of the latest updates from your local health department and the CDC to make sure you’re operating as safely as possible, and be sure to check out these guidelines for restaurants and bars from the CDC. 

We have some good news to report on some outdoor wheels that should arrive today or tomorrow.

 

As you might know, outdoor skates and wheels have been very popular since the pandemic started, and supplies have been very limited.  Sure-Grip has worked with a source here in the United States to get some wheels made up for us.  Because they were made in the USA they were quicker to arrive than ones made in China.  The downside is they are going to cost a little more, so these might not be for everyone.  Also, we are not getting as many as we need.

 

We should be getting Boardwalk wheels today or tomorrow.  We’re expecting pink, black, blue, red, and purple to arrive.

 

Because supplies are very limited, we are limiting orders in the first week to five sets per location.  We’re also limiting these to existing customers of our Roanoke warehouse.  If any are left after the first week then we’ll open it up to bigger orders or new customers.  But we need to try to make sure that as many of our existing customers as possible get a chance to get at least a few of these.

 

Because they’re made in the USA they are going to be a little more expensive than the price list pricing.  This is only on the wheels that are made in the USA for this rush job.  We expect the price to return to normal once the Chinese supplies arrive.  If you order via email, please note in the email that you understand about the pricing.

 

They’re expecting a shipment of Motion wheels to arrive in another week or two.  These were also made in the USA.  As soon as we know more about these we will let you know.

We just received a new shipment of the shoe deodorizer.  The cans do not say that it’s effective against Covid-19, but the manufacturer’s website says that it is, they tell us it is, they just didn’t get necessary approval to put that on the label in time.  So this is a much better solution than just hiding the odor with dryer sheets.

The same manufacturer has a new plastic cleaner that is recommended for cleaning plastic surfaces, including plexiglass.  We don’t have that yet, but should have it soon, they’re on the way.

Good inventory news to report, we just got in a shipment from Chicago of their 400 (white) skates.  We now have all sizes of the Chicago 400 in stock (sizes 1-11).  Unfortunately this is just white, we didn’t get any of the 405 (black).  Hopefully we’ll get more of their skates in soon, it sounds like they’re getting close on some of the other models.